Durham Tech will be searching for a new president for the first time in more than 10 years after Bill Ingram officially announced his retirement on Tuesday. The announcement came at a meeting of the community college’s Board of Trustees.

Ingram has served in various roles at Durham Tech since 1983 and has been leading the college since January 2008.

Durham Tech has grown under Ingram’s leadership with new buildings and programs on the main campus and opening new campus locations, including expanding to an Orange County campus in Hillsborough early after Ingram took the role as president.

Ingram wrote in a letter to chair of the college’s Board of Trustees John Burness that he was “gratified” by what’s been accomplished during his tenure as president. Ingram also highlighted partnerships with UNC – Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University to funnel more community college graduates and transfers to those four-year institutions.

The college is also in the middle of the Forge Great Futures fundraising campaign, which launched in April with a goal of raising $5 million by June 2020.

Burness wrote back to Ingram that he read the retirement letter “with decidedly mixed emotions,” adding that while he knew of Ingram’s plans, “seeing your letter in black and white is a real reminder how far the College has come under your steady guiding hand as President of the College.”

A search committee is expected to be formed later this fall to lead the process to name the college’s fifth president, succeeding Ingram. Ingram’s last day is set for June 30, 2020, at the conclusion of his current contract. He did offer to remain in that role for two additional months “should the Board of Trustees believe such an extension to be useful.”