With Kim Pegula unable to return to leadership role with teams, others have stepped in

So how has that changed who runs the business side for the two teams owned by Terry and Kim Pegula?

In the short-term, not much.

Jessica Pegula revealed in a Players Tribune story on Tuesday that her 53-year-old mother has been unable to return to work since suffering cardiac arrest in June and is now dealing with “significant expressive aphasia and significant memory issues,” making it at times difficult for her to communicate.

The teams have been able to cover for her with some slight maneuvering, some of which may even have been planned before Kim Pegula’s approximately eight-month absence from Pegula Sports & Entertainment, which handles the affairs of both professional organizations.

Despite that, Jessica Pegula said that her mother’s absence has left a “massive void in the organizations.”

A spokesperson for Pegula Sports & Entertainment did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

“She was the shift in culture, positivity, and the heartbeat of many of the employees,” Jessica Pegula wrote. “She gave everyone so much of her time and effort. … Now we come to the realization that all of that is most likely gone. That she won’t be able to be that person anymore.”

Before the start of the NFL season in September, Ron Raccuia went from executive vice president of Pegula Sports & Entertainment to COO and executive vice president of the Bills, focusing solely on the football team. But given the time and effort going into planning for and closing the deal on the new Bills stadium, it seemed a natural evolution of Raccuia’s position.