PITTSBURGH — The president of the Heinz Endowments plans to retire, though no date has been announced.

Robert Vagt has headed the charity since 2008.

The Vagt, 66, played a key role in the formation earlier this year of the Center for Sustainable Shale Development, a coalition of foundations, environmental groups and natural gas drillers. But other environmental groups criticized the effort, and two key Heinz employees were fired in August.