Generosity Comes In Many Forms

Giving Tuesday was conceived as a day to celebrate generosity on a global scale. What epitomizes generosity for you? We think service to others ranks pretty highly.

That spirit of service lives in members of the United States Surface Navy. The men and women who sail in the modern surface fleet sacrifice to protect loved ones and ensure freedoms just as their predecessors have for 246 years. How can we honor all they have given?

One thing we can do is remember them. Sea service is rife with epic tales of bravery and heroism. So many of these stories are being lost. With your help we can preserve them and the history they represent so future generations can learn from them.

What can you do?

• Become a Plank Owner
• Share your story (or a loved one’s)
• Donate
• Include us in your legacy giving
• Volunteer

And as a thank you for your donation to the Surface Navy Museum between now and the end of the year, we want to send a gift for your contribution:

• $25      Receive a National Museum of the Surface Navy Museum sticker
• $50      Receive a National Museum of the Surface Navy challenge coin
• $250    Receive a National Museum of the Surface Navy hat
• $500+  Receive each of the items above

Please be sure to include your mailing address when you donate. Feel free to contact our development team with any questions.

A Message From Our CEO

Friends:

This past weekend, many of us had the opportunity to spend time with family and friends that we may have not seen since the beginning of the pandemic. It was a chance to reconnect, share memories, and look forward to a vibrant and exciting future.

Our crew continued their incredible work through the weekend, welcoming visitors on board at numbers we haven’t seen over the same weekend since 2019. Thank you to all who showed up to support the museum and ensure that we remain open to show off the iconic Battleship IOWA to an eager visiting public.

This week, our events, catering, and production team remains busy with meetings, ceremonies, and special events – many of them catered by Chef Cesar and the crew of Vicky’s Doghouse Café. They assembled a menu for events hosted aboard the IOWA, making us an even better waterfront venue at the Port of Los Angeles. 

A reminder that Vicky’s will be closed on Mondays and Tuesdays beginning next week (except for catering) to give the team some rest and time off. They have done an amazing job building, opening, and establishing Vicky’s as a unique café on the waterfront. If you are interested in booking an event, please reach out to Catherine Moreno (and also congratulate her on her recent promotion to Sales Manager).

Over the past few months, we have been working as a team to hyper-focus our efforts and catch up on some of the numerous tasks that have fallen behind over the past year. The list includes installing permanent infrastructure improvements, updating Plank Owner software, preparing for the launch of a new tour product, hiring an events manager, identifying new accounting software, preparing for the transition of our volunteer management system, adding an environmental component to our education program, onboarding new veterans’ staff members, mapping out our 2022 development strategy, and working in sync with each other to accomplish the overall goal.

All of this wouldn’t be possible without the large volunteer crew and your generous contributions. A special shoutout to those “behind the scenes” including security, IT, operations, administration, museum, and others for your significant contributions.

As we enter the holiday season (and the last month of the personal tax year), we are kicking off our annual campaign. This year’s effort is focused on honoring your friends and loved ones through our Plank Owner program. With your donation (depending on level), you will receive a special gift. Kyle, Melani, and Marann are leading the charge with this campaign and will be sending out weekly inspiring messages that tell our story and how your support makes it happen. We appreciate your generosity. It enables us to create a world class museum of the future and your efforts allow future generations to remember our Surface Navy heroes.

In a couple of weeks, our Board of Directors will gather for our annual meeting.  We will discuss our 2022 operating and capital budget, strategy for reaching our capital campaign goal, and the continued progress on the National Museum of the Surface Navy build. We have a lot in store in 2022, including infrastructure upgrades, space preparation, and museum planning.

I couldn’t be prouder of our crew, as they remain focused on our core pillars of education, veterans, and community and increasing our impact across the community. I hope you will join us and continue to support the crew in bringing alive the National Museum of the Surface Navy as a Plank Owner, donor, crew member, advocate, and supporter.

My best for an incredible week for you and your family!

Jonathan Williams
President & CEO