Bellevue Mayor Claudia Balducci has resigned from her position as King County Director of Adult and Juvenile Detention effective Jan. 31 to take on a new position with the county’s criminal justice system.

Elected mayor on Jan. 6, Balducci states in a news release she feels the time is right to make the change after 15 years with the DAJD and three as its jail director.

“Although I will be leaving the Department, I am excited to continue to work in support of public safety at King County,” Balducci states, “and effective and humane criminal justice system.”

Cmdr. William Hayes for the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent will serve as the active jail director while a recruitment process is drafted to find a replacement for Balducci, whose new role will be strategy section manager for criminal justice in the King County Office of Performance, Strategy and Budget.