Charles Niemeier, a founding member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and an outspoken voice on many governance and accounting issues, has announced that he is leaving the PCAOB in the near future.

Niemeier has not given a specific date for his departure or said what he may do next. His formal term actually ended last October, but board members may remain in their positions until a successor is appointed, and the Securities and Exchange Commission has not named one yet.

Prior to his appointment to the PCAOB, Niemeier served as chief accountant of the Division of Enforcement at the SEC, and he was also co-chair of the SEC’s financial fraud task force. Prior to joining the SEC, he was a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Williams & Connolly.