In an email to colleagues Thursday afternoon, the Director of the Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP) and Senior Advisor on Disability Policy at the White House, Jeff Crowley, announced he will be leaving his position at the end of the year. 

As the president’s lead advisor on HIV/AIDS policy, Crowley did have responsibility for global AIDS, which was shared with colleagues on the National Security Council, although he spent the majority of his time developing the first National HIV/AIDS Strategy to respond to the domestic epidemic.

“After developing and releasing the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States and spending a year and a half on implementation, now is an appropriate time for me to move on to the next phase of my life,” Crowley said in the email.

The White House has already begun the process for finding a successor, according to the email, but no indication for contenders was given.