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AG’s chief of staff, Corey Welford, leaving for public affairs gig

Attorney General Maura Healey paused in the hallway to speak with Corey Welford (left), her chief of staff, last year.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff/file

Corey Welford, Attorney General Maura Healey’s chief of staff, is leaving state government service Feb. 25 to build a public affairs practice at CTP Boston, an advertising and public relations firm based in the North End.

Welford, who has served as chief of staff for Healey — and her predecessor, Martha Coakley — said he’s going to be helping clients “think strategically around their communications,” whether crisis or longterm.

“I’ve had the best job in state government,” he told the Globe. “I have been really proud to work for a great office and two not good, but great, attorneys general. But I’m excited for this new challenge now.”

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Welford helped lead strategy on Coakley’s 2010 reelection campaign for attorney general, which began right after Coakley’s historic loss to Republican Scott Brown in the US Senate race for the seat once held by Edward M. Kennedy.

He served as her senior adviser and began serving as her chief of staff after the November 2010 election.

Coakley, now of counsel at the law firm Foley Hoag LLP, lauded Welford’s keen ability to convey complex issues.

“He was terrific on strategy and communications skills. And the reason I loved working with Corey: He understood both how you would set up an issue, who had to be involved, and how you could communicate effectively — an idea, a policy, an action,” said the former attorney general.

Coakley added that he understood not just the mission of the AG’s office, but also the bigger meaning of public service.

Welford, 42 and a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, said he’s looking forward to working with different companies at the new job — and also a quick New England ski trip before the gig begins.

Officials in the AG’s office tell the Globe that Healey is not expected to bring in anyone from the outside to succeed Welford, but rather, she will promote from within.

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Joshua Miller can be reached at joshua.miller@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @jm_bos and subscribe to his weekday e-mail update on politics at bostonglobe.com/politicalhappyhour