Michael Hansen left his role as executive director of the Greater Birmingham Alliance to Stop Pollution (GASP) last week after a decade working with the group.

“I kind of felt like I had done what I could, in terms of transitioning the organization from where we were when I took the job, and then where we are now,” Hansen said. “So, I felt like we needed new leadership to move forward and go into even greater heights.”

Hansen first joined GASP in 2013 as a communications specialist and was named executive director in 2015, according to the group’s website.

During Hansen’s leadership GASP pursued several legal cases against large corporations including Bluestone Coke and Alabama Power over environmental issues. Hansen said GASP’s advocacy work was often taxing and that contributed to his motivation to leave.

“It’s a really grueling job,” he said. “And you make a lot of really powerful enemies doing that kind of work. And it begins to wear on you. So, I just really needed a break to be honest.”