July 7, 2023

Friends,

We begin this week celebrating the passage of the Declaration of Independence from England, which is in many ways the culmination of what began as a protest with the Boston Tea Party. We commemorate our nation’s Independence Day with family gatherings, recreational activities, and more. 

Over the past several years, I have been on board the ship for the annual WHO trip to Battleship IOWA, along with several other crew members, Simon Conway, and listeners from the state of Iowa. Our friends from Iowa visit the ship and have a once-in-a-lifetime experience seeing the inside workings of the ship that they helped build, save, and preserve.

I had the opportunity to spend last week in the great Northwest, enjoying quality time with my wife and rapidly growing kids. Since this journey began with the saving of the ship in September 2011, I have been super-commuting from central California, much like David Canfield. Alongside our entire crew, we are fueled by passion, commitment, and a burning desire to achieve the seemingly impossible. The time we get to spend with our families is cherished and allows us to refocus on accomplishing the greater vision.

While I was on vacation, I occasionally checked in and unfortunately missed the annual USS IOWA Veterans Reunion. However, I celebrated with joy the extraordinary accomplishment of the operations team in turning Turret 3.

Mike Getscher kept me informed of the plan and safety requirements in preparation for the operation. The team that accomplished this milestone, the first in battleship museum history, has a lot to be proud of. It highlights their perseverance, passion, and dedication to IOWA and her legacy.

They accomplished this feat safely, solely relying on shore power (for those wondering), without activating any onboard power generation systems. I am proud of their achievement and hope they had an opportunity to celebrate over this holiday weekend!

As I return from vacation, the leadership team and board will convene to review the strategic plan. This plan is primarily the written version of what we have been discussing over the past few years, especially regarding the National Museum of the Surface Navy and Freedom of the Seas Park and Pavilion. Over the next several months, we will seek feedback from our crew, staff, supporters, and donors to ensure we are mutually aligned moving forward.

The plan clarifies who we are, what we do, and how we accomplish it, particularly in the realm of growing into a national-level museum and organization. Concurrently, we are working on the design of the National Museum of the Surface Navy experience to gather feedback.

Our objectives primarily focus on expanding our team’s capacity, empowering lives through our program areas, safeguarding the community, ensuring financial stability, and establishing the National Museum of the Surface Navy as a recognized leader in maritime-oriented programs. The vision is ambitious and will undoubtedly require significant support and growth. We hope that you will join us in one of our upcoming sessions.

On the financial front, we are blessed to have a balance of donations and earned revenue. Our earned revenue generation teams are focused on refining processes and offerings, while our development team is dedicated to both the annual and capital campaigns. Our investment in growth is significant, and we embrace our next evolution as we push the limits of our personal capacities, with heartfelt gratitude for your support and generosity.

​We look forward to inviting you to be involved in our plan review and experience design. If you are interested in a specific component, please reach out to our development team at development@labattleship.com.

With sincere gratitude to each of you,

Jonathan Williams
President & CEO

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