Kenny McDonald is stepping down from his role as president and CEO of One Columbus, the region's economic development group, on Sept. 1.
One Columbus Executive Vice President Matt McCollister will serve as interim president while a national search is conducted for McDonald's replacement.
McDonald was recruited to the Columbus Partnership in 2010 to build Columbus 2020, which became One Columbus.
In a statement, McDonald says he is proud of everything the group has accomplished.
鈥淔or 15 years, I鈥檝e had the privilege of working with amazing community leaders from across the Columbus Region, talented colleagues in and outside the organization, and clients from across the world,鈥� McDonald said.
In an interview Monday, with 星空无限传媒, the 55-year-old McDonald said he figured 15 years was a good milestone.
"I've got some other career goals I want to pursue," McDonald said.
He said he first wants to take a break. He said he plans on staying in the area; he and his family live in New Albany.
"I'm not going anywhere," he said.
McDonald said he remains "extremely optimistic" about the $28-billion Intel project in New Albany despite delayed opening dates and the recent news of a construction slowdown.
"It's really critically important to our region and the country," he said.
One Columbus says that since its founding, it has managed more than 800 company expansions that brought in 80,000 jobs and nearly $50 million in capital investment.
McDonald was praised for his leadership.
"Kenny helped the Columbus region usher in a transformative chapter. His work with our business community and his efforts on behalf of everyone in Central Ohio have been extraordinary,鈥� said Steve Steinour, Columbus Partnership co-chair, and chairman, and president and CEO of Huntington Bank. 鈥淜enny is one of the best economic development professionals in the country, if not the world."