BRIGHTON —Archbishop Seán P. O’Malley announced Dec. 7 that Kenneth J. Hokenson, Cabinet Secretary for Institutional Advancement and Chief Development Officer, will be stepping down in 2006. Hokenson has been with the archdiocese since December 1995 and has served in his current position since 2001.

“On behalf of the Archdiocese of Boston, I wish to thank Ken for his loyalty and commitment to the archdiocese and wish him the very best in all his future personal and professional endeavors,”said Archbishop O’Malley. “Ken’s leadership of the development operations, especially his work with ‘Promise For Tomorrow,’has allowed us to sustain our ongoing work and to plan for future needs. Ken’s work has been consistently focused on mission and grounded in faith. As an archdiocese we are indebted to him for his dedication to the good of the Church.”

“It has been my privilege to work for the archdiocese and Archbishop O’Malley,”said Hokenson. “I want to express my gratitude to so many people with whom I have worked, especially my staff of outstanding and committed professionals, as well as the members of the Pastors’Advisory Committee. I look forward to pursuing new challenges and opportunities.”

At Archbishop O’Malley’s request, James F. Mooney Jr., president of the Catholic Foundation, will chair the search committee that will include Msgr. Paul Garrity, Chris Haughey, Jeffrey Kaneb, Lou Nagy and Jane Mancini Puliafico. Hokenson will continue serving in his present role into 2006 and through an effective transition period following the announcement of a new Cabinet Secretary for Institutional Advancement.