BOWLING GREEN, KY, September 1, 2021 – The National Corvette Museum Board of Directors has selected Sharon Brawner to serve as President and CEO of the National Corvette Museum. Brawner joins the National Corvette Museum, effective today, from Nashville, TN where she served as the longtime Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum.
NCM Board Chairman Glenn Johnson said “We are thrilled to announce that we have hired Sharon Brawner as President and CEO of the National Corvette Museum. Sharon possesses the necessary skills to expand the mission of this museum and work collaboratively across the organization to help us reach our strategic objectives. Sharon’s leadership skills are proven, and we’re fortunate that her career path led her to our organization.”
Sharon Brawner
NCM Search Committee Chair Kai Spande said of the process to find Brawner, “We teamed with a firm specializing in not-for-profit organizations to conduct a thorough, nationwide search to find the best possible candidates. There were many, but Sharon Brawner was the clear choice. Not only does Sharon have extensive experience leading one of the most successful museums in the world, but she’s also a true car buff who was born and raised in Kentucky. We’re looking forward to a bright future with Sharon in the driver’s seat.”
“As a Kentucky native and a true car enthusiast, I have long been a fan of the Corvette. I’m thrilled to be able to bring my experience in tourism, museum, and non-profit leadership to The National Corvette Museum,” said Brawner. “I’m beyond honored to accept the position of President and CEO, and I know that, together with the NCM team, we can create incredible new opportunities to continue the growth and success of this world class museum.”
Brawner spent just shy of two decades at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum supporting its mission of preserving and interpreting the history of country music. Brawner initially joined the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum staff in 2001 as director of new business development. During her tenure at the museum, Brawner made a significant impact on many fronts. Under Brawner’s direction, just since the museum’s 2014 expansion, earned revenues grew over 42% through 2019. These gross revenues exceeded $42.1 million, having grown from $29.6 million in 2014.
In her most recent role as senior vice president of sales, marketing & IT, Brawner had day-to-day oversight of the museum’s traditional revenue-producing areas including admission ticket sales, special event sales, restaurant and catering sales, product licensing, corporate sponsorships, and the Museum’s retail store sales. Also operated by the museum, Brawner oversaw management of Historic RCA Studio B, the Home of 1,000 Hits, and Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest working letterpress shops in America. Additionally, Brawner led the Museum’s traditional advertising, promotions and other marketing communications including the museum’s website, social media outreach, and publicity efforts.
Prior to joining the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum staff, Brawner was vice president of sales, marketing and communications for the Nashville Sounds AAA Baseball team and, before that, served as the vice president of administration for the Nashville Kats Arena Football team. Early on in her career, Brawner served 10 years in the hotel and hospitality fields within the areas of sales, marketing and corporate partnerships with the likes of Opryland Hotel, Loews Anatole Hotel, Galt House Hotel and others.
Brawner is a graduate of the 2019 class of Leadership Nashville and currently serves on the board of Feed America First. For 11 years, Brawner served as a board member of the Tennessee Tourism Committee and was a board member for the TransPerfect Music City Bowl. Brawner also served as an adjunct professor at Belmont University, teaching a Masters-level class on sports marketing with an emphasis on corporate sponsorships. Brawner is a native of Hodgenville, Kentucky and attended Western Kentucky University.
Brawner will assume full CEO duties effective today, September 1, 2021.
About The National Corvette Museum: Since 1953, the Corvette has been America’s Sports Car. The National Corvette Museum was established as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation with a mission of celebrating the invention of the Corvette; preserving its past, present and future; and educating the public about Corvette. The Museum is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT and is located at exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY. For more information visit corvettemuseum.org or call 270-781-7973.
