AUSTIN (KXAN) — Leaders at Austin Community College (ACC) will begin looking for someone to succeed the current chancellor after he announced his intent to retire later this year.

Dr. Richard Rhodes shared Wednesday that he will conclude his 12 years of service as chancellor on Aug. 31. He called it the “greatest pleasure” to hold this position, according to a statement shared by ACC.

“Coming to ACC and serving this community are among my top personal achievements,” Rhodes said. “As I prepare to step down, I find myself reflecting on our accomplishments. I want to thank our amazing Riverbat community that made my time here more engaging and meaningful than I could have imagined. The commitment of our faculty and staff to our mission is inspiring. It’s why we have seen such tremendous growth at ACC. Together, along with our many community partners, we cultivated a culture of upward mobility. We believe college is for everyone, and I am confident ACC will continue to grow and thrive.”

During his time at the helm, voters approved two large bond packages that exceeded $1 billion. The most recent passed in November last year when a $770 million proposal sailed to victory with almost 70% of the vote. College leaders plan to use the bond to fund new construction, upgrade existing campuses and expand services offered to students. It would also allow ACC to create more training programs for in-demand jobs, like in health care and advanced manufacturing.

According to a news release, Rhodes’ retirement plans include spending more time with his wife, children and grandchildren.

ACC will now launch a nationwide search to select the college’s next leader. The board of trustees will eventually appoint a new chancellor. It’s unclear at this time how long that search process will take.