San Juan County Council Clerk Ann Larson is moving up, not just on.

The 31-year-old Larson last week announced she would be leaving the county ranks to join the staff of state Senator Kevin Ranker, D-Friday Harbor, as his chief legislative aid. Her resignation is effective June 5.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Larson said. “I wasn’t really looking but it’s one I felt I couldn’t pass up.”

Larson, who has been clerk of the council for about a year, said she will help Ranker open a district office in the near future, the location of which has yet to be determined. Bellingham, Burlington, Mount Vernon and Anacortes are among the candidates, she said. She expects to commute daily to the district office from her home on San Juan Island.

Along with a new occupation, Larson said she intends to start on a master’s degree in environmental policy at Western Washington University beginning this fall. In addition, she will soon be a published author. Findings from a three-year, federally funded study involving behavioral interactions of killer whales around boats, on which Larson was a lead researcher, will be published soon in a scientific journal.

“It’s been quite a couple of weeks for me,” she said.

As chief legislative aid, Larson will have a key role in helping shape Ranker’s positions on statewide policy and pending legislation, particularly during legislative sessions.