Gov. Peter Shumlin has announced the departure of a top administration aide.
Chief of Staff Liz Miller will leave state government at the end of the 2015 legislative session.
Thirty-five-year-old Darren Springer, currently the deputy commissioner of the Department of Public Service, will take her place.
Springer says that he joined the Shumlin administration to work on renewable energy policy.
“And now to have opportunity to step into an even broader role and take on more responsibility, help him achieve what he’s looking to do for the state of Vermont, is a great opportunity, and I’m looking forward to it," he said.
Shumlin says that Miller, who has served as chief of staff since 2012, has been an invaluable asset to his administration. Prior to becoming the chief of staff, Miller was commissioner of the Public Service Department, the state agency responsible for energy policy.
Springer is a former senior policy advisor to Sen. Bernie Sanders, and is best-known in Montpelier for negotiating a complex piece of legislation that establishes renewable energy goals for the next 15 years.
Springer joined state government in 2013, and has a law degree from Vermont Law School. He lives in Burlington with his wife and two children.
