PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — Less than a year after he was appointed superintendent of the Hampton Roads Regional Jail, Lt. Col. Christopher Walz announced that he is retiring.

Walz announced his retirement to the Hampton Roads Regional Jail Authority Board on Monday during a special meeting. His retirement will be effective on Jan. 1, 2021.

“I made this decision for myself and my family,” Walz wrote in an email to 10 On Your Side. “With over 30 years of law enforcement experience it has come time to focus on my family.”

Walz was appointed interim superintendent of the HRRJ on Jan. 15 and took over leadership of the jail on March 1, following the retirement of former Superintendent Col. David Hackworth. Walz previously served as the assistant superintendent of the jail beginning in September 2018.

Separate from his retirement announcement, Walz confirmed that the HRRJ Authority Board also discussed several matters in closed session at their Nov. 30 meeting. The HRRJ Authority Board consulted with their attorney and heard staff briefings about “actual or probable litigation.” They also discussed a personnel matter.