BOSTON (WWLP) – Governor Charlie Baker made one of his final announcement to the public Tuesday, thanking all Massachusetts residents as he reaches the end of his term this week.

Baker will take his lone walk from the executive office Wednesday. The two term Republican sat down at his desk Tuesday for what he called ‘a proper goodbye.’ The corner office was not foreign to Baker when he took office in 2015. He worked for both Governor Bill Weld and Governor Paul Cellucci in the 90’s.

Baker, often credited with being the country’s most popular Governor, has seen the Bay State through snowstorms, MBTA crises and most notably the pandemic. He spoke on how the state has recovered from the pandemic, gaining back nearly all the jobs lost and having a lower unemployment rate than the national average.

His two terms in office also saw an extreme budget shift as well, from a deficit to a surplus so large that money had to be returned to taxpayers. He spoke about how his busy schedule of attending events and watching people help others only fueled him.

“Despite a myriad of political fights and distractions that were raging all around us, people here chose to focus on the work, and it paid off. The personal and professional generosity, from the Berkshires to Cape Cod, and every place in between, was always there. We were there too, in the front row, watching it and appreciating it for eight cherished years,” said Baker.

He also mentioned how his administration helped bring broadband access to many parts of western Massachusetts.

Governor Baker will have only about two months of downtime before he becomes the next President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in March. He will be responsible for building the NCAA’s ongoing transformation efforts. The organization is going through a sweeping reform, trying to decentralize the way college sports is governed.

Healey’s inauguration will be held at TD Garden Thursday at 5 p.m.