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.

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Newest Updates

Building the National Museum of the Surface Navy: Honoring Surface Warriors in Phase 1

by Jonathan Williams | Mar 10, 2025 | SITREP

The National Museum of the Surface Navy at the Battleship IOWA is well underway, and as we approach Phase 1 completion in late 2025, we are excited to highlight two key initiatives that directly honor the experiences, achievements, and legacy of Surface Warriors—past, present, and future.

A Victim of Surprise

by Marann Fengler | Feb 19, 2025 | News & Announcements, Announcements

A victim of surprise: CEO Jonathan Williams celebrates a milestone birthday

Leaks, 2025, CONCERT!!!, and more

by Marann Fengler | Jan 30, 2025 | News & Announcements, Announcements

Leaks, 2025, a big CONCERT, and more in CEO Jonathan Williams’ first update of the year

Additional Resources

by Jonathan Williams | Jan 17, 2025 | Education, [Internal][Sliders] Youth Daytime Programs

Explore lesson plans, leadership experiences, essay contests, birthday parties, and other educational resources that extend learning beyond a visit to Battleship IOWA.

Donate to City of LA EMD Disaster Relief Fund

by Jonathan Williams | Jan 10, 2025 | LADRRC

The City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department (EMD) has designated the Pacific Battleship Center, the established 501c3 non-profit that owns and operates the National Museum of the Surface Navy at the Battleship IOWA and Los Angeles Fleet Week, to facilitate the donation of funds, grants, and in-kind products or services for the benefit and support of the City’s Emergency Management Efforts. Thank you for supporting our City and its communities. Mail Check to:Pacific Battleship...

Iowans for IOWA

by Jonathan Williams | Jan 10, 2025 | Development, Announcements, News & Announcements

Protect the Enduring Legacy of Iowa's NamesakeDeckPreservationIf you look at the history of battleships, you find photos of hundreds of sailors polishing the gleaming teak decks - an extraordinary image that stays with us always. Here aboard IOWA, with deck ranging in age from forty to nearly eighty years, we have a problem. Sun and weather have taken their toll. Decaying wood allows water to become trapped against bulkheads and to pool underneath deck boards. That moisture is actually eroding...