Obama Communications Director Leaves White House Job

White House Communications Director Ellen Moran is leaving her West Wing job to become Chief of Staff to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

Moran will make the change in the coming weeks; she is poised to become the first senior Obama administration official to leave her position.

"I thank Ellen Moran for her leadership during these first critical months of my administration, and I am pleased she will serve as chief of staff at the Department of Commerce," the president said in a statement. "Her management and strategic skills will ensure that Secretary Locke, an important member of my economic team, gets off to a fast start."

Moran has worked behind the scenes to communicate the president's message; the Associated Press reports that her "duties include overseeing the new media and media affairs teams as well as the White House Web site, surrogate operations and event planning."

She is one of the few senior advisers who was not involved in the president's campaign.

"It has been a real honor to serve in this White House at the start of this historic administration," Moran said upon the announcement, according to the AP. "I am looking forward to working on critical economic issues with Secretary Locke."