Doug Friednash, chief of staff to Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, is leaving his post to rejoin his old law firm, according to an announcement Monday from the governor’s office.

Friednash has been chief of staff since 2015. He is a former state lawmaker and assistant attorney general. He will rejoin the firm of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLC.

Hickenlooper has chosen Patrick Meyers, former owner of Smashburger and Quiznos, to take Friednash’s place.

Hickenlooper callled Friednash “a longtime friend and colleague of mine. These last few years he has been at the center of so much of our success. His judgment, his robust network of relationships, and his loyalty to me, and especially to Colorado, will be sorely missed.”

In addition to his ownership of Quizno’s and Smashburger, Meyers also is a former partner and chief legal officer for Consumer Capital Partners. He is a graduate of the University of California Hastings School of Law and a former attorney with Moye Giles. Meyers takes over as chief of staff for the governor in December.

“We have so much still to do in the next 408 days,” Hickenlooper said. “Pat will bring a broad variety of experience to that work. I can’t wait to get started.”

Friednash’s departure is the fifth high-profile resignation from the governor’s executive team in the past three months. The executive directors of transportation, revenue; health care policy and financing; and labor and employment have all announced they are moving on in recent months. This isn’t unusual, given that Hickenlooper’s term of office ends in January 2019.