Acting Director Chris Browne assumes permanent leadership of the Air and Space Museum

Browne has served as Acting Director of the museum since January 2021.

Secretary Bunch announced today that Christopher Browne has been named the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, effective immediately. Browne first joined the museum as deputy director in 2017, and has helped lead the museum’s multi-year renovation of its flagship building in Washington, D.C.

As director, Browne will oversee the museum’s two public facilities: the building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., and the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. He will oversee a staff of about 320 full-time employees, an annual operating budget of over $49 million and the care of a collection of more than 60,000 artifacts. Browne will continue to lead the seven-year renovation of the National Mall museum that began in 2018. As deputy director and acting director, Browne has played a critical role in the museum’s plans, and he has been closely involved in decisions related to exhibition design and themes, artifact selection and project phasing during renovation. His ongoing leadership will ensure a continuity of vision for the project.

Browne has a proven track record for fundraising; he oversaw the museum’s best fundraising year to date in 2021, including the execution of a historic $200 million gift from Jeff Bezos, which was the largest gift to the Smithsonian since the Institution’s founding gift from James Smithson in 1846.Before coming to the Air and Space Museum, Browne had an accomplished career in the Navy and in airport management. A graduate of the U.S. Navy’s “Top Gun” Fighter Weapons School, he served as a naval flight officer from 1980 to 1985, and from 1986­ to 1987, he was a senior operations briefer for the secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations, where he was awarded the Navy’s Commendation Medal for excellent performance.

Browne’s work in airport management began in 1988 as the manager of operations for Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. He went on to serve as the airport’s vice president and manager from 1998 to 2005, where he oversaw several large capital projects and coordinated the airport’s response to 9/11. From 2005 to 2017, Browne was the vice president and airport manager at Washington Dulles International Airport, where he managed a staff of 530 employees, serving over 23 million passengers a year.

“The leadership, fundraising acumen and vision Chris has provided the National Air and Space Museum during this exciting period of transformation have been invaluable,” Bunch said. “As someone who began my Smithsonian career at Air and Space, I could not be more thrilled that the museum will continue to benefit from his wisdom, creativity and enthusiasm.”

Meet Chris Browne

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