Lydia Middleton is stepping down as president and CEO of the Association of University Programs in Health Administration, Arlington, Va.

Middleton, 47, will remain on the job until a successor can be found. In an interview, she said she has no concrete plans for when she leaves, but felt it was time to pursue other opportunities. “It's been a great ride,” she said.

Middleton has been head of the AUPHA since 2004 and with the organization since 1996, according to a news release.

“Lydia Middleton has been an energetic and strategic leader of AUPHA,” said Sharon Schweikhart, chairwoman of the association's board, in the release. “She has been the force behind AUPHA's tremendous growth and its innovative programming over the last decade,” Schweikhart said.

Hear Middleton's thoughts on the future of healthcare leadership in a Modern Healthcare webcast held in 2011.