A &#8220total structural reorganization” of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau has led to the elimination of one staff position, and phasing out of the firm contracted as a management consultant for the agency is in the works, board chairman Nelda Sampey said today.

Colleen May, who was hired by the board in August as the senior marketing and sales executive, was notified Friday that her position had been eliminated. The decision was made by board members in a closed session Wednesday. May, who holds a doctorate in educational psychology of business, came to the VCVB with 20 years of experience in tourism. She did not return calls.

Larry Gawronski, who heads Compass of Vicksburg, a subsidiary of Compass Facility Management, the company contracted last year as a management consultant for the agency, said he was notified by Sampey Friday that a transitional plan to phase Compass out is being worked out between board members and Bill Seratt, the VCVB’s new executive director. The contract signed last March was actually for two years, but board members have opted to terminate the contract early.

&#8220Our one-year contract with Compass is up. Compass will resume as a consulting manager until the executive director is transitioned in,” Sampey said.

She said more restructuring is planned for the tourism agency, which hired Seratt an executive director earlier this month. He has been on the job just over a week. His hire was also a step in the restructuring, said Compass of Vicksburg director Larry Gawronski.

Sampey said people who are currently employed – both part time and full time – may be offered different positions as part of this &#8220restructuring.”

&#8220We looked at the structure of CVBs all over the state,” Sampey said. &#8220We began restructuring last fall and early spring.”

VCVB staff had a skeleton crew until the board hired three staff members, including May, in August. Since then, Sampey said the board has eliminated the sports marketing sales position, as well as convention sales. That leaves four full-time positions, including Seratt’s, and part-time travel counselors, which will be stationed at various businesses around Vicksburg.

Executive staff began the move last week from the building the agency was renting at 1300 Washington St., to a modular home on the site of the bureau’s Visitor Center on Clay across from the entrance to the Vicksburg National Military Park. The tourism agency has been out of its headquarters at 1221 Washington St., since adjacent buildings collapsed in January 2006. While the board waits for safety clearance to return to the original building, Cappaert Manufactured Housing has allowed them to stay in the &#8220Katrina cottage” for free.

&#8220We’ve been in a very transitional period for the last couple of years,” Sampey said. &#8220We’re so excited about having Bill Seratt here. He comes with such enthusiasm. We now feel like we can let him manage this bureau.”