Jill Murphy, the controversial chief of staff for J. Paul Getty Trust Chief Executive Barry Munitz, disclosed Thursday that she will leave her post by the end of the year.
Murphy, 33, announced the departure to her staff in the afternoon after describing her plans in an e-mail to The Times. In the e-mail, she summarized a letter written in November to Munitz, saying that they had agreed on a plan for her exit.
Murphy's designation as chief of staff is an unusual one in the nonprofit world. But her title reflects the scope of her authority at the world's richest art institution.
Her broad power and sometimes brusque management style have drawn complaints from current and former Getty employees, who blamed her for internal tension and low morale.
Their complaints reached Munitz, who acknowledged her "sharp elbows" in a November interview.
Nevertheless, Murphy said in her e-mail Thursday that the decision to leave was hers, adding that she had no definite plans beyond taking time off, catching up with friends, reading and doing volunteer work.
"While I do not know precisely where my career will take me, Jeffrey Sachs' book, 'The End of Poverty,' argues that our generation can choose to end extreme poverty by the year 2025," she wrote. "It is an inspiring goal, and I hope to find some way to contribute towards making it a reality."
Murphy's departure comes amid turmoil at the $9-billion trust.
The California attorney general recently opened a wide-ranging inquiry into the Getty's financial practices after a Times story described Munitz's lavish pay, perks and travel. Getty senior curator Marion True faces trial in Italy on charges of conspiring to receive stolen artwork.
Since Museum Director Deborah Gribbon left the Getty last October, a string of senior executives has resigned, including Gribbon's interim replacement and, most recently, the trust's internal public relations manager.
Last week, the trust named Michael Brand, the well-regarded director of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, to succeed Gribbon.
Since arriving at the Getty with Munitz in 1998, Murphy has served as gatekeeper to both him and the board.
She worked for Munitz in his prior position as chancellor of the California State University system. He had brought her to CSU and fostered her career after meeting her during a business dinner at the Jammin' Salmon restaurant in Sacramento, where she worked while attending Cal State Sacramento.
