Smithsonian Institution Secretary G. Wayne Clough. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images for Smithsonian Magazine)

Wayne Clough, the man who has served as Smithsonian Secretary since 2008, will step down next October, the museum network announced this morning.

“When I became Secretary in 2008, I believed strongly that the Smithsonian had enormous untapped potential, especially in digital technology, to reach millions of people and serve as a resource for those who cannot visit Washington,” Clough said in a release. “I am confident that with our initiatives underway in bioconservation, education, digitization and fundraising, this is the right time to announce my plans for next fall so that an orderly transition can begin.”

Clough was was appointed in 2008 after serving as president of the Georgia Institue of Technology. Since Clough joined the museum complex, the Smithsonian has raised $893 million from private donors, hired ten new leaders, created partnerships with universities, and established the Conservation Biology Institute, the release said.

But his tenure has not been without controversy. In 2010, Clough pulled an AIDS-themed video from the National Portrait Gallery exhibition “Hide/Seek.” “The video includes an image of ants crawling on a crucifix and was criticized by the president of the Catholic League, Bill Donohue, and some House Republicans,” the New York Times reported.

David C. Ward of the National Portrait Gallery said at the time that Clough “was stampeded into making a decision.” Clough later called the decision “painful,” but said ”in the interest of that exhibition and this institution and its legacy and maintaining it in the strongest possible position, I think I made the right decision – in that context.”

“Advancing the Smithsonian’s mission remains my priority,” Clough said. “We’ve made a lot of progress, but there is always more work to do. I will continue working with our dedicated staff in the coming year to keep moving the Smithsonian forward to be a self-reliant, vibrant, relevant organization.”