By a show of hands. How many of you know Sharon Brawner is the CEO of the National Corvette Museum and has been since the Labor Day weekend of 2021?
While you may have read about Sharon’s appointment, what do you know about her beyond the press release? Beyond her impressive resume’ and proven track record of success at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
To find out more, we sat down with the energetic new CEO to get her thoughts on a wide array of NCM related topics.
What follows is the first of a three-part series of our conversation with Sharon. For those who enjoy podcasts, you can listen to our discussion in its entirety here: Sharon Brawner Brings Passion And Experience To The National Corvette Museum.
Spoiler alert. After spending time talking with Sharon, we walked away excited and confident about the future of the NCM, and we know you will too.
Born A Car Girl
Rod Worley – Editor – Sharon, first off, thank you for bringing your years of experience in tourism, museum operation, and nonprofit leadership to the National Corvette Museum. Also, from what I gather, besides being a Kentucky native, you’re a true car enthusiast.
What were your early years like growing up around cars, and did I hear your Dad had a Corvette?
Sharon Brawner – CEO National Corvette Museum – My mother tells me I was in her belly when we went to the drag strip in Bowling Green, Kentucky, at Beech Bend Park. So I have been hearing the thunder and the rumbles of big-block Chevrolets and blowers, fuel-injected cars, top fuel, and funny cars when I was just a baby in the womb.
It’s my preferred way to experience cars, although I love NASCAR, motocross, and all kinds of motorsports.
If it had an engine on it, that’s what we did when I was a kid. And so, yes, I’m a car girl, and I was an only child. So I had to be both my Dad’s son and the dress-up girly daughter.
I spent my earliest years helping Dad in the garage. I learned what a five-sixteenths wrench was and how to put an extension on a socket set.
And eventually, I was shown how to grind valves for the valve jobs that Dad was going to do in the garage. My husband swears my favorite perfume is the smell of rubber burning or burnout of a car with slicks.
So that’s just part of who I am.
As far as, did, Daddy have a Corvette? Yes, he did. He went on to own three of them in his lifetime.
It was his dream car. And so, we spent our earliest years dreaming of owning one. Then, finally, he bought his first one off the showroom floor.
It was a 1982 Black Corvette with rally wheels and t-tops, which is exactly what he wanted. I can close my eyes and see it like it was yesterday.
Dad let me go with him to negotiate the price of the car, as well as, he gave me the privilege of driving it off the showroom floor. From there, he went on to own two others.
One of which was a 1969 Stingray that he converted into our last drag racing car.
Aspirations Fulfilled
Rod Worley – Editor – Your early years really did revolve around cars, didn’t they? It’s great your Dad finally got his Corvette as well.
So I couldn’t help noticing your 2019 Arctic White Grand Sport parked outside the museum. Is it true there’s a reason behind the color choice?
Sharon Brawner – CEO of the National Corvette Museum – Yes, there is Rod. When I was a very young professional, my first real job was in the hotel industry.
I worked in Dallas, Texas, at the Loews Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Tx. There was a very striking and influential woman who ran the prestigious museum inside the hotel.
Her name was Charlotte St. Martin, and she went on to be the president of that hotel and then be vice president of all of Loews hotels eventually. And so she drove a white Jaguar.
I just was in love with that car and still love a white Jag to this day. Charlotte St. Martin was beautiful, intelligent, and striking.
She was a business maven, an entrepreneurial, trailblazing woman in her professional career, and she was everything that I thought I wanted to be.
Not only was she dressed to the nines every day and carried herself in a way that all women should aspire, but that white Jaguar came to symbolize everything that I wanted to be.
I knew someday when I was a CEO; I would own a car like that. But for me, it had to be a white Corvette.
And so that’s why Arctic White is my color of choice for my 2019 Grand Sport coupe.
NCM Ambassadors Are Essential
Rod Worley – Editor – That’s a great story Sharon, and I’m glad you finally got your dream car.
I was thinking the other day that there are many ways for Corvette fans to support the Museum. One of which is the NCM Ambassador Program.
Can you tell us more about the Ambassador Program and its importance to the Museum?
Sharon Brawner – CEO of the National Corvette Museum – The Ambassador Program is the heart of the Museum in many ways. The purpose of the Ambassador Program is to provide Corvette clubs and organizations with a two-way communication link to the NCM.
This program provides several opportunities for enthusiasts to offer support through participation and involvement in the functions of the Museum. As you know, Rod, there are Corvette enthusiasts and clubs across the United States and around the world.
The Museum needs to connect to those clubs, and that’s hard to do given we’re a small organization. Also, we’re a not-for-profit, and trying to communicate with every club worldwide would be a full-time job.
So instead, we need to have a connection road back to each club and organization. The Ambassador Program becomes that vital connection of information.
If you’re a Corvette enthusiast in a local Corvette club or organization and you want to help bring the Museum news back to your group, you can step forward and volunteer.
You can be the critical connection that we need. So in many ways, you will become an extension of our public relations and community service department.
I’ve had numerous folks in the Ambassador Program tell me what an honor it is to be considered an extension of our staff. We’re so appreciative of our Ambassadors and the great work they’re doing for our Museum.
The Story Continues
Our initial questions were geared toward understanding Sharon and her love of cars and passion for Corvettes.
As we move forward with the second and third installments in the series, we’ll delve into the NCM Motorsports Park, marketing, upcoming activities, and more.
Our goal with this series is to gain insights into our new CEO beyond the superficial fluff that you usually read in press clippings. We wanted to see the future of the NCM through her eyes.
We’ll let you in on a bit of a secret.
We’re convinced the Museum is in great hands after talking with Sharon Brawner, the National Corvette Museum’s new CEO.
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