Michael Williams, Texas Education Agency Commissioner of Education, has announced his intention to step down effective Jan. 1.

In his resignation letter to Gov. Greg Abbott, Williams said after 16 years of holding Austin-based positions—first as a member of the Texas Railroad Commission and then as Commissioner of Education—he no longer wants to commute to his home in Arlington where his wife lives.

The Frisco ISD board of trustees in November passed a resolution requesting that future education commissioners have at least a master’s degree in education and extensive experience in education leadership.

The qualifications, the resolution states, are equal to the qualifications required of other state-level commissioners.

Former Gov. Rick Perry appointed Williams to the TEA’s top position in 2012. In addition to years as a railroad commissioner, he also previously served as deputy secretary for law enforcement at the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the assistant secretary of education for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education.

The TEA represents about 5.2 million students on about 8,600 campuses in 1,200 school districts, and it is responsible for an annual education budget of about $50 billion in local, state and federal funds.