Kim Janey became acting mayor of Boston Monday night, becoming the first woman and the first person of color to hold the city's top job at the 55th time of asking.
Janey, who's been president of the Boston City Council, takes over for Marty Walsh, who was confirmed by the Senate Monday as President Joe Biden's labor secretary and resigned at 9 p.m.
Before taking the helm, Janey sat down with NBC10 Boston for a one-on-one interview about what's changing for her now that she's leading the city.
Speaking with Latoyia Edwards, Janey recognized the history of the moment and the people who paved the way for her, as well as the perspective she brings to City Hall.
"Certainly, the title changes, my office changes, I have a much bigger team, and that's exciting, because there is a lot of work to do," Janey said. "But I'm still Kim, and I believe that we have to stay focused on the work. And that's what I hope to do, and to bring my lived experience, my passion, and all that I can to this work, because it is so important."
A native of the city's Roxbury neighborhood, Janey became the first woman to represent Boston's 7th District in 2017. In addition to Roxbury, the district includes parts of the South End, Dorchester and Fenway.
Walsh, the city's 54th mayor, said in his farewell news conference that the city is in good hands with Janey. Walsh said he recently texted Janey to reflect on how far she's come.
"Think about this for a minute, a little girl from Roxbury is about to be mayor of Boston. And her response was, 'Think about this for a minute. A little boy from Dorchester is about to become the United States labor secretary,'" Walsh said.
She is expected to take the oath of office later this week.
