IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The governing board for Iowa’s three public universities is cutting ties with the man who has served as its top lawyer since 2004. A June 16 memo obtained by The Associated Press shows general counsel Tom Evans will soon no longer be employed by the Iowa Board of Regents and his legal duties have been transferred to others.

Evans has been the board’s chief negotiator for contracts with labor unions and advises the regents and schools they govern on legal and human resources matters. News of his departure has surprised some colleagues but the board has refused to explain the move.

The move comes amid other personnel changes at the board’s Urbandale office, where three long-time staff members recently took advantage of an early retirement program aimed at cutting costs.