After five years helping revamp and revitalize Cullman Parks, Recreation, and Sports Tourism, director Nathan Anderson is leaving for a new position in the private sector in Nashville. Anderson is leaving to become CEO of an entertainment logistics company, which will find him and his family relocating to Music City over the next two months.

Though his resignation was effective as of Monday, Anderson plans to stay on in a consulting role over the next few months to help provide guidance to wrap up some pending projects. His exit was formally announced at Monday night’s Cullman city council meeting, though officials have been making plans for the transition over the past several weeks.

“It’s been an incredible journey. I never really thought I’d leave Cullman, but it’s such a great opportunity. Cullman has been my home, and my wife’s home, pretty much our whole lives,” Anderson told The Times. “It’s a big thing for us to leave a place we love so much. Fortunately we’re going somewhere new we think we can eventually call home, too. But, it’ll never replace Cullman. This community has been so good to me and my family, and I’m so honored to have worked with so many incredible people here along the way.”

Though Anderson’s tenure has seen the parks department renovate almost every asset under its purview, and culminated in recent weeks with the department being awarded a national accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (the agency is the first in the state of Alabama and one of only 169 agencies in the United States to receive the accreditation), he made sure to note all the credit goes to his incredible staff and employees.

“None of it is possible without them, from the department, to the board, to the city council. Accreditation was a huge, four-year journey and it took everybody we had committed to accomplish something that big, being the first in the history of Alabama. That’s something no one can ever take away from Cullman,” he said. “We’ve just been so blessed in our community to have such an incredible team, and I have no doubt they’ll do great things for many years to come, that’ll serve generations to come. I look forward to watching their continued success.”

As for what’s next for the parks department, the city and parks board have been making plans for a smooth transition. The formal search for a new park director should begin soon.