NASHVILLE (AP) — The executive director of Tennessee's largest teacher organization is retiring.

The Tennessee Education Association announced Tuesday that Carolyn Crowder was retiring from the organization after serving seven years in the position.

Assistant Executive Director Terrance Gibson will serve as interim executive director until Crowder's replacement is hired later this year.

Crowder previously served as executive director of the combined Denver Classroom Teachers Association, Denver Association of Education Office Professionals and DCTA-Retired. She was also the president of the Oklahoma Education Association and as a member of the executive committee of the National Education Association.

"Over the past year, I have found several reasons to embrace the idea of retirement," Crowder said in a statement. "I remember at my first staff meeting, a staff member asked me if I was here to 'save' TEA. TEA didn't need saving. We just needed to roll up our sleeves, learn to fight for our cause a little differently and put our faith in building a member-led organizing culture."