While he prepares to head off in another direction, Andrews hopes the sport will make the changes it needs to remain in the Olympic Games.

Having overseen a period of strong growth and reorganisation at USAW, Andrews has been an outspoken critic of the global governing body, the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), as it struggles to secure weightlifting's Olympic future.

Andrews, who held an executive role at the IWF for six months in 2020, has long been one of the more outspoken members of the "reformers" within the sport, who have complained of poor governance by the "old guard" who hold sway on the IWF Executive Board.

Elections are scheduled for June and Andrews, a dual national British-American, said, "I sincerely hope the community votes for leadership who will implement the changes required to remain on the Olympic programme."

Weightlifting has been conditionally removed from the programme for Los Angeles 2028 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which has been strongly critical of the IWF over the past two years.

The "combative" political situation at the IWF and the Pan American Weightlifting Federation (PAWF), along with the stresses of the COVID-19 pandemic, wore down Andrews.

He resigned recently as treasurer of the PAWF.

"After 10 years it’s the right time, and I'm excited to see where USA Weightlifting can go from here, as well as my own new challenges."

Andrews does not have his next job lined up just yet, and may consider enter the consulting arena.

He dismissed rumours suggesting he would replace Ashley Metcalfe, who has resigned as chief executive of British Weight Lifting (BWL).

"While I’m definitely open to coming to Great Britain, the BWL rumour is simply people putting two and two together," Andrews said.

As for his successor, Andrews said he hoped it would be an internal appointment from within the team he hired and built at USAW.

"We built an amazing team of staff at USAW, who have been a part of all of the achievements in the last decade.

"While the organisation is right to do a comprehensive search, it is indeed my hope my successor comes from amongst our team."

When Andrews started there in early 2013 the National Federation had about 9,000 registered members, compared with nearly 30,000 now, he said.

It has grown revenue by about $6 million (£4.5 million/€5.5 million) a year, has 27 sponsors from a start point of two, has staged several of the world’s biggest competitions as part of the North American Open Series, has hosted two senior IWF World Championships and a Youth World Championships since 2015, has a commercial and coaching link with a high-end national chain of gyms, a foundation to deal with fundraising, and a club management system that did not exist before.

On the platform, American weightlifters had their best results in decades at the Olympic Games, senior, junior and youth World Championships, and continental championships in recent years.

Asked what he felt were the high points of his time at USAW, Andrews said, "Creating the Open Series has been a revelation for the sport over here.

"It has widened participation more than any other tool we’ve had. 

"Being able to have youth, junior, senior and masters all lifting together at the same event brings everybody together."

Andrews acknowledged the role played by Mark Cannella in helping to build up the Open Series by merging the long-standing Arnold Schwarzenegger Sports Festival event with the circuit.

It had a world-record 1,866 participants at the latest competition in Columbus, Ohio four weeks ago.

"The biggest overarching change has been the empowerment of athletes and local coaches, the decentralisation of the coaching concept," Andrews said.

A new recruitment programme and the use of data analysis, not just of American weightlifters but also their rivals, has been a big factor in improved results, Andrews claimed.

Athletes such as Kate Nye, CJ Cummings and Jourdan Delacruz benefited, and Andrews predicts much more to come from the super-heavyweight Mary Theisen Lappen, who coaches throwing events in track and field and was recruited from that sport.

"We really left no stone unturned in trying to grow the sport, and grow our on-the-platform results in the last quad, taking lessons from other sports and around the world of weightlifting."

As well as the successes there have been lows.

Ursula Papandrea, a former USAW President, was ousted as the IWF’s interim leader in 2020, when Andrews also left his role as the IWF’s interim deputy director general.

"The IWF situation has been a low point in two or three different ways - not only its effect on our athletes and on me personally, but on morale and the feel of the national governing body, and of the wider sport," he said.

"If I have one regret domestically, it would be that our concentration on success at senior level meant there was a time, towards end of the last Olympic quad especially, when we took our eye off the grassroots.

"COVID coming in exacerbated that situation and our focus on our clubs and our grassroots was damaged by that unrelenting focus on the elite athletes, but I’m proud of the work we’ve done, led by Suzy Sanchez, to re-engage that community since the Olympic Games."

Andrews said that USAW has a bright future ahead, if the IWF can retain its future in the Olympic Games.

"I’m proud of what we did here, and I’m equally proud that with the staff we have in place the organisation can continue to grow under a new leader."

He will leave in mid-July and will be involved in the search for a successor.

"I'm excited to help with that transition, and I want to take a moment to thank the community for the opportunity and trust to lead it for so many years," Andrews added

Paula Aranda, President of USAW, said Andrews had "guided the organisation through both good and difficult times.

"He leaves a legacy of great achievement. 

"We understand his desire to pursue other endeavours and wish him the very best."