Psaki, who also served as communications director in the Obama White House, is leaving the Biden administration after over 15 months, which saw her brief reporters 224 times in the White House’s James Brady Press Briefing Room or aboard Air Force One. She is expected to join NBC News in the fall.

She was joined Friday by Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas and Detroit Police Chief James White, and she kicked off the hour by joking that it wouldn’t be a Friday briefing “without a few guests.”

After White’s and Lucas’s remarks, Psaki read off a litany of “toppers” regarding President Joe Biden’s schedule and a variety of administration announcements before directly addressing her departure.

“I wanted to start with a series of thank yous, and I promised myself I wasn’t going to get emotional,” she continued. “I want to say thank you to the president and the first lady. He entrusted me in serving in this role for the last 15 months, and I talked about this a little bit before during my first conversation with them, which was in November of 2020 after the election.”

Psaki, who repeatedly said she wasn’t going to cry, proceeded to thank the “family” of Biden officials, the rest of the White house press team, and even the White House press corps “for the work every day you do to make this country stronger, and I am very grateful for all of you as well.”