Newsom's chief of staff to resign; Mayor appoints Trent Rhorer to top post

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom accepted the resignation of Chief of Staff Phil Ginsburg Thursday and named city Human Services Agency chief Trent Rhorer to replace him.

Ginsburg was tapped by Newsom to take the job in January 2007, praising him for his lack of a conventional political resume, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

But it was that lack of political experience that at times pitted Ginsburg against other administration insiders looking to boost the mayor's political credentials, and rumors about his pending resignation have been swirling around City Hall for months, the Chronicle reported Thursday.

Newsom said his appointment of Rhorer represents his ongoing commitment to addressing homelessness and poverty in San Francisco.

"Trent has a proven track record as an effective manager and he possesses a solid understanding of the inner workings of our city government," Newsom said in a statement. "Trent shares my deep commitment to solving the city's most vexing problems, including homelessness, poverty, and the health care crisis."

Rhorer, 39, has served as the executive director of the human services agency since October 2000. The agency is an umbrella agency that comprises the Department of Human Services and Department of Aging and Adult Services and has a $723 million budget.

Rhorer has a bachelor's degree in political science from UCLA and a master's degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Ginsburg's exit will be effective Aug. 15.