BLOOMINGTON - Board members at the Prairie Aviation Museum are scrambling to replace its former president after museum founder Norm Wingler resigned earlier this week.

Long-time vice president Fran Romine resigned at the same time, apparently in sympathy, confirmed museum board member David Smith. "We are left without our leadership. That is something we are dealing with," said Smith on Thursday.

Wingler did not return phone calls from the Pantagraph. However, the newspaper obtained a copy of a letter addressed to "Friends of the Museum," in which he referred to a disagreement between him and the board over a "management decision."

Wingler founded the Prairie Aviation Museum, which opened in 1981 at the former site of the Central Illinois Regional Airport. The museum added the Challenger Learning Center in 2003 to simulate space shuttle missions as a way to teach topics related to science and teamwork.

The museum and the learning center host total of about 50,000 visitors annually.

The board asked Smith to step in temporarily to lead board meetings. He declined to comment on specifics of events leading to the resignations, which he stressed were not requested by the board.

"We did not ask for their resignations and were saddened and shocked to receive them," Smith said. "The board is so grateful and all had nothing but admiration for them. … What they did all these years, none of that (the museum and the Challenger Learning Center) would be there."

The dual resignations left a void in succession, Smith said. As a result, the board met Wednesday night and plans to meet again Monday. The agenda is to add members to the board, at least temporarily, to help in a search to fill the positions, which are unpaid, he said.

Museum members, who pay $30 annually to help support its work, will be asked to submit names of possible candidates. Smith said the board has no timetable to name replacements.

However, the work of the museum must continue, he said, including fund-raising to support the facilities.

About half of the cost of the learning center, which has three paid staff members, is covered by user fees. The rest comes from events, including the annual River City Air Expo, which moved to Peoria following years in Bloomington.

Meanwhile, Smith said the board is drafting a statement "thanking Norm and Fran for their invaluable leadership from the beginning and expressing the fact the board is going to reorganize, elect a new president and vice president, appoint new board members and continue on the mission of preserving aviation history and operating the Challenger Learning Center."