LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.: The Laguna Playhouse has announced that executive director Karen Wood will be leaving her post at the completion of her eighth season in the role. The Arts Consultants Group will conduct a search for a new executive director, who will assume the position in the first half of 2016.

“This is a positive moment of accomplishment for Karen, and one of excitement for Laguna Playhouse as it is well positioned to look to change, growth, and new opportunities on multiple levels,” said co-chairs Joe Hanauer and Paul Singarella in a statement. “Karen served the community and Laguna Playhouse very well, and we will continue to build on her accomplishments.”

Wood led the Playhouse through the 2008 financial recession with successful programming and a business model redesign. In her final season as executive director, the Playhouse achieved a record level of attendance with 80,000 audience members and positive financial results.

“Having navigated through these challenging times and with this new forward momentum, I feel it’s an appropriate moment for me to move on to other creative opportunities that are on my personal horizon,” said Wood in a statement.