WASHINGTON — Hope Hicks, one of President Trump’s most trusted advisers, plans to resign from her post as White House communications director.

“There are no words to adequately express my gratitude to President Trump. I wish the President and his administration the very best as he continues to lead our country,” Hicks said in a statement that was issued by the White House. Hicks told the New York Times that she had been considering leaving for several months.

Hicks, 29, worked as spokeswoman for the Trump Organization before she was tapped to join Trump’s presidential campaign at its start. She later joined the White House as a communications adviser, but took the top communications job after the departure of Anthony Scaramucci last year.

She had a relatively low profile in her job — shunning televised interviews, for instance — but was seen as one of Trump’s most loyal advisers, and was his longest serving aide.

“Hope is outstanding and has done great work for the last three years,” Trump said “She is as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. I will miss having her by my side but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood. I am sure we will work together again in the future.”

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that Hicks was “as smart and thoughtful as they come, a truly great person. I will miss having her by my side but when she approached me about pursuing other opportunities, I totally understood.”

Hicks’ connection to the Trump family dates to her work for Hiltzik Strategies, the strategic P.R. firm headed by Matthew Hiltzik. It was there that her clients included Ivanka Trump’s fashion line, and her work eventually led her to a job in-house at the Trump Organization in 2014.

On Tuesday, Josh Raffel, who also worked at Hiltzik at one point in his career, announced that he was leaving his White House communications post to return to the private sector.

Hicks was the fourth person to fill the role of communications director since Trump became president. Sean Spicer held the role for the first couple of months, followed by Mike Dubke. He resigned in June, and Spicer again served as acting director. Anthony Scaramucci was communications director for just a few weeks in July.

Hicks was embroiled in the controversy over Rob Porter, Trump’s staff secretary who resigned after two ex-wives came forward with their claims that they were victims of his physical and verbal attacks. Hicks reportedly had been dating him and played a part in crafting the White House’s initial responses over the situation.

White House Chief of Staff John Kelly also issued a statement about Hicks.

“When I became Chief of Staff, I quickly realized what so many have learned about Hope – she is strategic, poised and wise beyond her years,” he said. “She became a trusted adviser and counselor and did a tremendous job overseeing the communications for the President’s agenda including the passage of historic tax reform. She has served her country with great distinction. To say that she will be missed, is an understatement.”