CEO Corner
Updates from Jonathan Williams
Jonathan Williams is the President & CEO of the Pacific Battleship Center, home of the Battleship IOWA, LA Fleet Week, and the National Museum of the Surface Navy. A purpose-driven leader and storyteller, he shares updates and insights from one of the nation’s most innovative nonprofit organizations. His writing explores leadership, community, and culture — connecting lessons from the deck plate to the boardroom while highlighting the people, progress, and purpose that continue to drive the mission forward.
Newest Updates
Calm in the Chaos – Rescue Swimmer Brian Dickinson
Retired Navy aviation rescue swimmer Brian Dickinson talks about learning to remain focused when conditions become dangerous and unpredictable. His career offers a look at one of the Navy’s most physically demanding specialties and the skills required to perform under pressure.
Brian Dickinson: From Elite Navy Rescue Swimmer to Snow Blind on the Roof of the World
Brian Dickinson takes listeners inside the demanding world of Navy aviation rescue swimmers and the training that prepared him for challenges well beyond military service. His story shows how physical preparation, technical skills, teamwork and decision-making become essential when lives depend on your actions.
MH-60S Seahawk Pilots Share Scary Weather Stories
Navy helicopter pilots Kevin Borough and Jack Tribolet share what happens when advanced aircraft, changing weather and high-stakes decision-making come together. Their experiences provide a look at the training, judgment and teamwork required to operate Navy helicopters in difficult conditions.
Never Dreamed of Being a Pilot
Navy aviators Kevin Borough and Jack Tribolet did not grow up expecting to become pilots, yet both found their way into the cockpit of the MH-60S Seahawk. They explain the paths that led them into naval aviation and what it takes to train for one of the Navy’s most demanding technical careers.
They Made a 19-Foot LEGO IOWA
Kjell Urban and Ashton Dulfer used Navy plans, more than 100,000 LEGO pieces and a lot of engineering problem-solving to construct a 19-foot model of Battleship IOWA. Hear how they designed the hull, built the ship in transportable sections and engineered working details into a 350-pound model.
Aydin Diaby: 19-Year-Old Creates IOWA Model From Scratch
After visiting Battleship IOWA, 19-year-old self-taught model maker Aydin Diaby went home and built a four-foot model of the ship from scratch. His story shows how curiosity, close observation and hands-on making can develop technical skills in design, fabrication and problem-solving.
Restored! IOWA’s 1980s TV Studio
Battleship IOWA’s Innovation Engineering & Technology team restored the ship’s 1980s television studio – including original equipment and a working Betamax camera. Gary Lopes explains the combination of electronics, research, troubleshooting and hands-on restoration required to bring a decades-old technical system back to life.
Travis Davis from Battleship TEXAS – Part 2
Travis Davis continues his behind-the-scenes look at the drydocking and restoration of Battleship TEXAS. See how engineering, skilled trades, planning and problem-solving come together when teams take on repairs that few people will ever encounter on an ordinary construction project.
Travis Davis: Battleship TEXAS VP of Ship Operations Gives Us an Update, Part 1
Battleship TEXAS Vice President of Ship Operations Travis Davis takes listeners behind the scenes of one of the largest historic ship restoration projects in the country. The conversation explores drydocking, ship maintenance and the technical challenges involved in repairing and preserving a massive steel vessel.
CMDCM Octavia Harris: Ask the Chief
A conversation with a Navy recruiter introduced 17-year-old Octavia Harris to the Hull Technician rating and launched a career that would ultimately take her to Command Master Chief. Her story shows how learning a hands-on technical trade can become the beginning of opportunities far beyond the job you first signed up to do.
Limited time only beginning on September 5, 2026!
Kids Board Free
In the all-new Life of a Sailor experience, kids become sailor recruits, building their skills, following the story of a famous sailor, and joining Vicky the Dog on a scavenger hunt through Battleship IOWA.
Kids board free with a paid adult.