The chief financial officer of Durham LED lighting company Cree has resigned.

John Kurtzweil's resignation took effect Monday, the company said in an announcement.

Kurtzweil, who plans to continue as a Cree employee until June 15 to assist with the transition, is leaving to take the same job with Extreme Networks.

"The decision to leave Cree was a very difficult one for me as the past six years have been personally rewarding," Kurtzweil said in a statement. "At this point in my career, however, I decided to move to Extreme Networks, a smaller firm where I can have a more hands-on role in growing the business."

Cree has hired Russell Reynolds Associates, an executive search consultant, to help find a replacement.

The company has also named Mike McDevitt interim CFO.

McDevitt joined Cree in 2002 as corporate controller and previously served as interim CFO in 2006 during an earlier transition.