ZELIENOPLE — Rodney Schaffer, chairman of the Butler County Tourism & Convention Bureau’s board of directors, has confirmed that he resigned from the group last week, saying he wanted to devote his time to the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival.

“I’ve decided to spend my volunteer time focused on the Jeep festival,” Schaffer said. “The Jeep festival committee is working on becoming an independent group. There is a need for the Jeep organization to become more formalized.”

Schaffer had been on the tourism bureau’s board of directors for four years, according to a press release issued by Krol Media, the public relations agency that handles communications for the bureau.

Schaffer said there was no reason for his stepping down on July 21 other than turning his attention to the Jeep festival.

“It was time for me to do something different,” he said. “I’m changing focus.”

Describing this year’s Jeep festival as “wildly successful,” Schaffer said he will become a basic committee member of the festival when it becomes fully independent from the tourism bureau in the next few months.

The tourism bureau’s board of directors is scheduled to meet next on Aug. 20. According to the press release, Schaffer’s successor will be chosen at that meeting. Todd Wehr is the current vice chairman of the board.