(USA TODAY) Well, it's not entirely unexpected, but now it's official: Chelsea Clinton is leaving NBC News.
The pregnant Clinton, who is said to be due this fall, has been operating on a month-to-month contract with NBC and told People in a statement that she is leaving the network" to continue focusing on my work at the Clinton Foundation and as Marc [Mezvinsky] and I look forward to welcoming our first child."
Alex Wallace, senior vice president of NBC News, the oft-times employer of former first daughters, bid Clinton a fond farewell:
"Chelsea's storytelling inspired people across the country and showcased the real power we have as individuals to make a difference in our communities. While she will be missed, we look forward to working with her in the future."
You can read Clinton's full statement, posted to her Facebook page, below:
"Thank You
When I joined the NBC family in 2011, I had long respected NBC's commitment to telling the stories of "ordinary people doing extraordinary things." I loved watching the "Making a Difference" stories about remarkable people and organizations making a profound difference in our country and our world. I am grateful NBC gave me the opportunity to continue this important legacy.
To continue focusing on my work at the Clinton Foundation and as Marc and I look forward to welcoming our first child, I have decided to leave my position as a NBC Special Correspondent.
At NBC, I've had the opportunity to share the work of people like Carlos "Coach Khali" Sweeney , whose Downtown Boxing Gym offers kids on the east side of Detroit a lifeline through academic tutoring and boxing instruction. I met Principal Peggy Candelaria, whose Homework Diner in Albuquerque helps kids with their homework and also feeds those same kids and their families, fostering a renewed sense of community, a program that now serves as a model across Albuquerque and beyond. I also spent time with Annette Dove whose TOPPS program in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, continues to fill the hunger, education and safety gaps for kids of all ages in her community. I will always be inspired by their and others' collective passion, courage, ingenuity and perseverance.
I am profoundly grateful to NBC viewers who responded to the stories I shared, providing funds to help expand the reach of those programs and who encouraged their schools' principals, their mayors and local activists to think about how to build similarly transformative programs in their own communities.
It's been a privilege to be part of the NBC Family. I admire the work and dedication that their reporters, producers, crews, editors and studio teams deliver every day, particularly as I personally experienced through the stewardship of Brian Williams at Nightly News and Rock Center. I especially want to thank Deborah, Alex, Tracey, Catherine, Mary, Victor, Soraya and everyone I had the honor of working with in the field, in the editing room and at Education Nation.
While my role with NBC News may be coming to an end, I look forward to working with the NBC family well into the future."
And now, let the speculation about the forthcoming child's due date, gender and name continue unabated!
