Longtime Baldwin County Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack is retiring later this summer or early fall, and will be taking the top director’s post with the Alabama Sheriff’s Association.

Mack, the county’s Republican sheriff since 2007, first made the announcement via a memo sent to members of the “Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office family.”

“This has not been an easy decision as I have been with this office since 1989, and an honor to serve as your Sheriff since 2007,” Mack writes. “I believe the time is right for me to make this move. It is a great opportunity for me to work with all of Alabama’s 67 sheriffs.”

Mack could not be reached for immediate comment on Sunday.

He declined to provide an exact date for his retirement, or when he will begin working with the Sheriff’s Association, among the most powerful law enforcement organizations in Montgomery.

It’s also unclear who could be Mack’s replacement in Baldwin County. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is in charge of appointing an short-term replacement once Mack officially retires from the position.

Mack will replace James “Jimmy” Lambert as the Sheriff Association’s executive director. Lambert was appointed to that position in 2022. He replaced longtime director Robert “Bobby” Timmons, who was the association’s executive director for 47 years, from 1975 until his retirement in 2022.