City Parks Commissioner Sue Donoghue marked her final day on the job Friday after more than three years leading the department.

During her tenure, Donoghue launched the Vital Parks for All plan, a more than $3 billion effort to improve access to parks across the five boroughs. She also helped build new recreation centers in every borough, reformed the city’s lifeguard system, expanded free swim programs for kids and led the city’s most active tree-planting push since 2016.

Donoghue joined “Mornings On 1” live from one of the city’s parks Friday morning, where she reflected on the decision to step away.

“Obviously, it's a hard decision, but I know that I'm leaving the agency in a better place than I found it,” she said. “Anybody who has worked in public service knows that these are incredibly demanding careers. It has been the honor of a lifetime to be the parks commissioner. I have loved this job, but there comes a time when you know you need to step away for the sake of my family, to move on to the next chapter.”

When asked what advice she would offer to her successor, Donoghue urged them to fully embrace the role.

“I would advise that they jump in, love the job. You can dance with the incredible, incredible group of partners, volunteers, advocates. So many people in New York love their parks. It's a very personal connection,” she said. “I would encourage the next person to take advantage of that, to harness all that energy and support and really just love every day in the park, as I have.”

Tap the video player above to watch the full interview.