Veteran Springfield state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera is leaving the Massachusetts Statehouse to take a position in the courthouse.

Rivera, who has represented the 10th Hampden District since 1999, will become an assistant clerk in the county’s Superior Court office.

Clerk of Courts Laura Gentile says she’s happy to have Coakley-Rivera on her team, even though the representative backed Gentile’s opponent in the 2012 election for clerk.

“Her combination of education, skills, experience, her background, her motivational fit, made her the best person for the job,” Gentile says.

Coakley-Rivera was the first Latina to serve in the Massachusetts House. She will resign her seat on March 28th and begin the new job a few days later.

A spokesperson for House Speaker Robert Deleo says no special election will be called to finish out the remainder of Coakley-Rivera’s term. That means the seat will remain vacant until after the November election.