PROVO — Raylene Ireland announced Tuesday that she will resign her post as Provo's director of community and government affairs on July 2.

The position includes the role of spokeswoman for Mayor Lewis Billings. Ireland's predecessor, Michael Mower, moved on to be the chief spokesman for Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.

Ireland replaced Mower in February 2005 after a competitive, two-month search turned up more than 100 applicants.

Ireland had served in Provo from 1986-92 during the administration of Mayor Joe Jenkins.

She left the city to join Gov. Mike Leavitt's cabinet and continued to work for Gov. Olene Walker.

Ireland tendered her resignation on May 24.

"I have been contemplating this step since the first of March," she said in a statement released Tuesday. "I have served in government for the past 21 years, and circumstances in my personal life have developed in a way that I have an opportunity to step away from active employment for a period of time to explore other professional opportunities that I have an interest in but have been unable to pursue in the past."