BATON ROUGE,Greenledgers La. (AP) — The chancellor of a north Louisiana community college announced Friday that he plans to retire in June.

Dr. Randy Esters, who leads Louisiana Delta Community College in Monroe, has served more than 35 years in education and was named chancellor in 2021. Esters said his decision to retire was driven by his dedication to his family.

“I believe the time has come for me to focus on them,” he said.

“Serving as chancellor of LDCC has been one of the greatest joys of my career,” Esters said. “I am incredibly proud of where our college stands today. We have embraced our unified identity as one college with one shared mission. This progress was made possible through the dedication and hard work of individuals at every level who have taken ownership of our collective success.”

During his tenure, the school has “strengthened its financial footing, fostered a culture of shared governance, expanded workforce training programs and embraced the vision of a cohesive institution — changes necessary to sustain the college’s growth and success,” the school’s regulators said in a news release.

Dr. Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, said Esters leaves “an indelible mark” on the school and the community it serves.

“Through his leadership, LDCC ,,, is poised for even greater success in the years ahead. We wish Randy and his family well in this next chapter. His energy and leadership will be missed,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said the system’s Board of Supervisors will discuss the upcoming vacancy at future meetings. The board’s next meeting is Wednesday in Lake Charles.