The elimination of Gore's position, along with the departure of Director of Finance Becky Kennedy, was announced Friday by CBA President and CEO Bill Anderson. Other than Anderson, Gore is understood to have been the longest-serving member of staff at CBA. She joined the organization in 1981 as assistant to Anderson in his then-role as convention manager.

Gore had been "a valuable asset to our leadership team," and her "unique sets of skills and abilities have played a vital role in helping build CBA," Anderson said.

The CBA announcement described the changes as a "reallocation of resources and corporate streamlining," which would emphasize the formation of "high-performance teams working in a fluid structure rather than departments." This would give team members "more direct ownership of projects, therefore speeding up projects to completion."

Anderson said CBA wanted to do everything it could to help members in tough economic times. "Sometimes that calls for specific and far-reaching action. In this new era, we have to both cut and accelerate at the same time. Back to basics and innovative growth have to occur simultaneously. That's why strong leadership is all the more important," he said.

"We're resetting CBA for the future, and we have a strong, highly skilled, professional staff that will take us there."