Stephen J. Albert, executive director of Court Theatre, will be stepping down from his post at the start of the 2018–2019 theater season, according to an announcement on the Court Theatre website. Albert became executive director in 2010.

“I am grateful for the trust that Charlie [Newell, the artistic director,] placed in me, to the Court’s Board of Trustees who accepted my leadership, and finally, to the University of Chicago for their support,” Albert said in a statement to the Court Theatre blog.

During his time as executive director, Albert grew the annual budget by 50 percent and increased the theater’s participation in community engagement, according to the Court Theatre website. He also oversaw the launch of the University’s Center for Classic Theatre, which merged academic and artistic pursuits for the University.

Albert will be returning to his company AlbertHall&Associates. The company provides consulting services to arts and entertainment companies and nonprofit organizations, and was launched in 1999.