Last week during a work session of the center’s board of governors, O’Rourke, a new member on the governing board, asked the center’s entire board of directors to step down.

Two days later, O’Rourke’s suggestion bore fruit. Governing board members were notified Thursday that all members of the board of directors, most of whom have served on the board for more than 25 years, had resigned. The board of directors is composed of elected members from the board of governors and handle the daily operations of the Ag Hall of Fame.

O’Rourke said she made the request because the Ag Hall of Fame, which is struggling financially, was in need of fresh blood and new leadership.

“I just think that it was certain members of the board that I thought needed to be relieved of their positions in order (for the Ag Hall of Fame) to start anew,” O’Rourke said. “I just thought it was necessary to go forward, to build a new infrastructure.”

Cathi Hahner, a former Ag Hall of Fame director and current member of the board of governors, said she thought it was unfortunate that events had led up to this point, but the resignations were a necessary step in saving the hall. She said that four members of the board of directors had opted to stay on as members of the governing board, and the hope was that other former directors would continue lending a hand in the future as well.

“Hopefully some of them will come back and be a friend and be involved, but this is what we kind of needed to do to start anew and build the whole thing back up,” Hahner said. “We appreciate their years of service.”

The board of governors will meet Monday to elect a new board of directors that will serve on a temporary basis, until the next annual meeting in the Spring of 2010. Hahner said she hoped to see 10 members elected Monday evening to serve in the interim.

Curt Blades, one of those who resigned, wouldn’t comment specifically as to why the board took the action but said simply, “We were asked by some folks to resign, and we did.”

He did, however, offer his well wishes to the next elected directorial board.

“It is a terrible shame that misinformation, local politics and personal interests have stood in the way of the organization living up to its full potential as (a) national showcase for agriculture,” Blades said in a statement vie e-mail. “I wish the new board the best in navigating its way through the next few months of difficult decisions.”

O’Rourke, who has been on the board of governors since October, said she was looking forward to what this step could mean for the Ag Hall of Fame’s future.

“I’m excited,” she said. “I think that it’s exciting to start new, start fresh, bring some new ideas to the table. And I think there’s endless potential.”

Look for this story in the print edition of the Chieftain, out Nov. 19.