NASHVILLE (AP) - The head of the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts is retiring by the end of the year.

Libby Sykes made the announcement this week. She has held the court position for seven years, and spent 27 years in state government.

Sykes joined the AOC in 1995 and was appointed deputy director in 1999. The Tennessee Supreme Court named her administrative director in 2006.

The AOC provides administrative and technical support as well as training to judges throughout the state of Tennessee. Sykes directs a staff of more than 75 people and oversees a budget of $130 million that funds courts and indigent defense.

Prior to joining the AOC, Sykes worked for the Tennessee Department of Corrections and was executive director of the sentencing commission.