Tom Sorel, president and CEO of AAA Minneapolis, announced Thursday that he has stepped down from the position. Wendy Weigel was named acting its president and CEO.
Sorel had held the top job at the club since December 2012. During his short tenure with the club, Sorel brought several changes to the club of 200,000 members in Hennepin County, including roadside assistance to bicyclists, a program that allowed new and renewing members with MnPASS transponders to get toll credits, and a redesigning the "Live, Play, AAA" magazine sent to members.
"We appreciate Tom's enthusiasm and many of the ideas the he has brought to AAA Minneapolis over the past year, and wish him well in his future endeavors," said Rick Burrock, the club's board chair.
Burrock said it was Sorel's decision to step down but did not give any more specifics.
Weigel, who currently is the club's vice president of travel services, has held several leadership positions during her 28 years at AAA Minneapolis, including with AAA's travel agency and auto travel groups.
Sorel came to AAA after serving as state transportation commissioner. Prior to that, he was the division administrator in Minnesota for the Federal Highway Administration. He managed a 22-person federal office in Minnesota and received a presidential honor for coordinating the federal transportation response to the Aug. 1, 2007, collapse of the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.
Burrock said the board will evaluate its next steps before naming a permanent replacement.
