WASHINGTON, D.C. - Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson has announced she will step down from the post at the end of her term.

In a statement from Jackson released by EPA, Jackson thanked President Obama the appointment four years ago. "I will leave the EPA confident the ship is sailing in the right direction, and ready in my own life for new challenges, time with my family and new opportunities to make a difference," she said.

NBC News reports that Jackson's tenure was marked with clashes on policy with GOP lawmakers and the energy industry:

"The administration abandoned an attempt early in President Barack Obama's first term to pass cap-and-trade legislation to address global climate change. That legislation failed to pass the Senate, and the EPA moved instead on a series of regulatory efforts including successful implementation of emissions standards for new cars and small trucks."

At the beginning of her term, Jackson set out to address climate change, air pollution, toxic chemicals and children's health issues, according to the statement.