Ravinia President And CEO Welz Kauffman To Leave After 2020 Season

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Ravinia President and CEO Welz Kauffman announced Saturday that he will be leaving the festival after the 2020 season wraps.

Kauffman, who is set to mark 20 years leading the Highland Park festival, will see through the opening of the RaviniaMusicBox experience center.

He's the third full-time professional leader of Ravinia, and first took on the role in 2000.

"After much reflection, I've decided that this milestone anniversary would be the right time to make way for someone new to shape the festival's future," Kauffman said in a written news release. "My goals were to give our board ample time to find that right person, and to oversee the inaugural decades occurred in just a minute, and I have other interests I'd like to pursue-maybe even a summer vacation."

Ravinia's Board of Trustees will soon form a search committee to find the next leader.

"We are grateful to Welz for his significant contributions to Ravinia," said Jennifer Steans, Chairman of Ravinia's Board of Trustees, in the release.