I would like to begin by thanking you for supporting the
Battleship IOWA by being a member. Your
decision to support the Pacific Battleship Center is one that the entire crew
of the IOWA appreciates and provides motivation to us daily in Celebrating the American
Spirit.
The year 2012 was exciting, emotional, and motivating. The tremendous job that the crew performed in
bringing IOWA back alive in both Richmond and Los Angeles is commendable. Members, veterans, and guests experienced
first-hand the teamwork necessary to bring their ship alive. Our job as the crew is to always remember
those that support us through their words of encouragement and financial
contributions. A big thank you, as
without you the Battleship IOWA would not be Celebrating the American Spirit.
In January 2013, I was assigned the duties of President by
the Board of Directors. One of my first
goals was to define who we are and where we are going. We listened to the community on their
opinions and they resoundingly encouraged us to remain strong to our American
roots. The crew assembled and through
numerous conversations, it was determined that we were “Celebrating the
American Spirit by connecting the past with the future.” Wow!
That was a powerful set of words to hear and we quickly realized that
this is exactly what we are to the community and the country!
As IOWA veterans will remind us, that the crew was always at
the forefront of innovation, the fleet, training, awards, and frankly the best
in the Navy. As todays crew in operating
her as a museum, we must continue this passion and legacy of being the best
ship in the fleet – the naval ship museum fleet.
As we look forward in 2013, we are working on numerous
initiatives. To name a few:
·
A museum committee has been assembled to
determine the best way to display our vision and mission beginning with the
entry to the exit. They are responsible
for the overall visitor experience and display of the ship in the appropriate
manner. They are currently looking at
additions to the tour and assembling exhibits including an exhibit jointly put
together with the USS Iowa veterans association.
·
An education committee has been formed to begin
looking at the structure of our education & overnight programs. They have narrowed in on options and are
beginning to determine funding requirements.
·
Plankowner and donor recognition is in full
swing. We have received approximately
70% of the inscriptions for plankowner recognition, but still need the
remaining 30%. If you are a plankowner
and haven’t submitted your inscription, please send to membership@labattleship.com. Within the next 30 to 60 days we will be
doing a digital display with the inscriptions and this will allow time for
final adjustments prior to permanent inscriptions.
·
We are working on a L.A. Waterfront joint
marketing alliance that will increase the visibility to the entire waterfront
area and it will provide additional opportunities to experience the L.A.
Waterfront. We are very excited about
this!
·
Our events team is focusing on holding public
events on major American holidays. Our
next event is the Easter Brunch and Egg Hunt.
If you may notice, our mischievous mascot from the 1940’s – Victory the
Dog is at it again and has hidden the eggs.
·
Plan to see more from Victory the Dog over the
next year as we have formed a search team onboard to locate where he ventured
off to and where he is making his mark in the future.
·
We are currently assembling our 1, 3, & 5
year strategic plan that will highlight the programs and activities that we
will be working to achieve. This will
also provide additional funding and naming opportunities through the arrival,
educational, and museum experience.
·
A big thank you to our Ship Operations team for
focusing on bringing alive toilets on the pier and onboard the ship in2013, in
addition to numerous other additions. A
generous donation of labor and materials with the lead by the Engineering
Contractors Association and the Laborers Union is making this possible. Once the project is complete, a full listing
of supporters will be displayed along with the donors and plankowners that have
supported us.
·
Our IT and Security teams led by former IOWA
Sailor, David Canfield has hit the ground running assembling a long term
technology back bone and creating a safe, friendly, & secure experience
onboard.
·
The marketing team has been able to assemble
numerous pro bono advertising opportunities including billboards and
print. They have developed the look and
feel to the “Celebrating the American Spirit”, with a big thank you to crew
member Linda Ayers for designing our new tickets, ads, and literature to
support this vision.
·
I am excited to see the training program that
our tour team has been assembling over the past couple of months. This year will be big in increasing the
quality of information during a visit to the Battleship IOWA.
As you can see, the IOWA is alive with activity, focus, and
goals going forward. I am certain that I
missed numerous activities and people that deserve recognition and I
apologize. Every crew member, member,
and donor is near and dear to our heart and without you – IOWA would not be
here! We are blessed to be surrounded by
a supportive community and we encourage you to support our partners in
Celebrating the American Spirit!
Thank you for being a member, thank you for Celebrating the
American Spirit!
Jonathan Williams
President
President
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