After five years at Morgan Academy, the school’s headmaster, Randy Skipper, will resign from his position effective July 1.

Skipper announced his intentions in a school-wide email Tuesday, in which he also said he would be assuming the position of executive director of the Alabama Independent School Association.

“I’m just so proud of what we accomplished in the last five years at Morgan Academy,” Skipper said. “We accomplished more at Morgan Academy in five years than I’ve seen at any other school in my 35-year career.”

Skipper said he was most proud of the progress Morgan Academy was able to make in numerous fields during his time at the school.

“The improvements that we made in technology and the academics at Morgan have been just unbelievable,” he said. “Just the improvements that were made at Morgan Academy in the last five years, I can’t say enough for what the Board did in providing the funds that allowed us to do that. It’s just unbelievable.”

Although Skipper’s move to AISA will still allow him to interact with Morgan Academy administrators and students, he said he would miss the school’s students and the relationships he was able to form with members of the faculty and staff the most.

“It’s always the kids,” he said. “No matter what happens, the reason we’re there is for the students. And of course [I’ll miss] the friendships that I made at Morgan with the faculty and staff. It’s one of the best faculty and staffs that I’ve ever worked for.”

Ira Wagoner, chairman of the Morgan Academy Board of Directors, said he was happy Skipper had been headmaster at the school, and that he did a wonderful job during his time there.

“He was an important part of the school,” Wagoner said. “He has done a wonderful job over the past five years. He will be greatly missed. But we understand that anytime when you can improve your professional life, that’s a good thing for our friends, and we’re happy for him.”

As executive director of AISA, Skipper will head of the association, comprised of independent schools statewide, including their academics and athletics programs.

To all the members of the Morgan Academy family, Skipper said he hoped they knew that it is great school with a fine tradition.

“Please be aware of what you have at Morgan Academy,” he said. “It’s really special, and they should be very proud of what they have there.”

Wagoner said the board had not met since Skipper announced his retirement, and that they, along with the school, will be conducting a search for a new headmaster as quickly as they can.