U.S. Marshals Museum names new president and CEO

The United States Marshals Museum in Fort Smith has announced the appointment of Ben Johnson as its new President and CEO, effective August 22, 2022.

In making this announcement, Doug Babb, USMM Board Chairperson, said “Inconducting a national search, we were looking for a new CEO with a proven trackrecord of achievement in museum operations. And that is exactly what we are gettingwith Ben Johnson.”

“Over his 20-year museum career, Ben has served in nearly every capacity within themuseum industry. He understands every aspect of museum operations because he hasperformed nearly every position.”

Johnson comes to the USMM from the Putnam Museum and Science Center inDavenport, Iowa, where he is vice president of Museum Experience. Putnam is a120,000-square foot museum with around 120,000 visitors a year. Johnson isresponsible for all aspects of museum operations and the guest experience. Prior toPutnam, Johnson was the executive director of The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum inHammondsport, New York. At Curtiss, he grew annual visits and revenues over asuccessful five-year stint as the museum leader.

Babb continued, “Ben brings us the expertise we need to complete the fabrication andinstallation of the museum experience, hire and train our museum staff and develop abusiness plan for an operating museum. We expect that with a new CEO with a trackrecord of success in museum operations, we can accelerate our fundraising and opento the public next year.”

Commenting on his new role as USMM CEO, Johnson said, “I am both excited andhumbled to lead the organization honoring the brave men and women who have servedour nation since 1789. As sacred ground, Fort Smith is the ideal location for this world-class museum, and I look forward to sharing it with the world.”