Gov. Brian Kemp’s chief of staff is stepping down to take a job in the private sector after working with the governor on campaigns and in elected offices over the course of nearly two decades in Georgia.

Tim Fleming was tapped as Kemp’s chief of staff shortly after the Republican won the 2018 gubernatorial race and has helped shepherd the governor’s policies through the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

He will step down at the end of September, according to the governor’s office.

“Tim has served my administrations for more than a decade,” Kemp said in a statement. “I am grateful for his service and hard work, and I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Replacing him on an interim basis will be Caylee Noggle, currently the state’s chief management officer who previously held top posts in the Georgia Student Finance Commission and the state Office of Planning and Budget.

Noggle will be the first woman to serve as a governor’s chief of staff in Georgia.

“I am honored and humbled by the responsibility of leading Governor Kemp’s administration through this transition,” Noggle said. “I look forward to serving Governor Kemp and the State of Georgia in this role.”

Fleming, whose family has a long history of politics in Georgia, first worked with Kemp on his winning bid for a Georgia Senate seat in 2002. He then managed Kemp’s campaign for secretary of state in 2010 and served several roles in that office following Kemp’s win.

In 2018, Fleming managed Kemp’s underdog campaign for governor that saw the long-shot candidate prevail in the Republican primary and defeat Democratic nominee Stacey Abrams by a narrow margin.

The governor’s office did not say where Fleming is headed next. His departure comes as Kemp gears up to defend his record against a likely challenge from Abrams in the 2022 gubernatorial election.

“I truly appreciate the opportunities that Governor Kemp and his family have provided me over the years,” Fleming said. “I look forward to beginning this new and exciting journey in the private sector.”