The new CEO of the National Veterans Memorial and Museum, or NVMM, took the helm while also steering the ship at the museum's next-door neighbor: the Center of Science and Industry, or COSI.
Frederic Bertley was quietly named the CEO of the Veterans Museum, or NVMM, this year. He's been COSI's president and CEO since 2016, before the NVMM even opened.
Bertley spoke on WOSU's All Sides with Amy Juravich on Wednesday about his vision and the challenges facing the museum.
The Veterans Museum is still climbing out of debt, which Bertley said is deferred debt going back to its construction. The building cost $75 million to build with another $7 million in startup costs.
Financial reports show the museum's deficit shrunk from $4.8 million in 2022 to $2.7 million in 2023. Bertley said it shrunk again this year, which will show up in the report for 2024.
NPR reports museums are facing hard times financially as foot traffic decreases nationally. Bertley said philanthropic support is also down and so is revenue because of both these factors.
Bertley said he's working to make the building more effective as a museum to attract more visitors. The museum lets veterans and children in for free, which Bertley said won't change. The museum does charge between $11 and $18 for other visitors.
Bertley said one struggle the museum faces is the structure of the building itself.
"(Designers) created this absolutely award-winning architectural jewel. It's a beautiful building, but it was designed more as a beautiful building, an architectural jewel and less as a museum," Bertley said.
Another effort Bertley said the museum is making is to expand its reach nationally to attract federal money.
He said the museum met with U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins to discuss possible federal funding. He said if the museum can expand its influence outside of Ohio to the other 49 states, there's a possibility the VA could partner more with the museum.
"If we can show some type of impact through our story cores, recording veterans' stories that are actually now in the Library of Congress... if we can show an impact or an interest to 49 other states, then there's a reason for why we can start looking for federal funding to support that," Bertley said.
Bertley said the museum can become an access point/conduit for a lot of the VA's ideas and be a mouthpiece for the VA.
Bertley also says it is important to keep the veterans museum focused on veterans, rather than on war and military equipment or technology.
"If I had a big tank that was gonna bring in a bajillion dollars into the institution, I will absolutely be open to that. But we'd find a way to do it intelligently so that it is in recognition of veterans," Bertley said.
The museum is also exploring more partnerships locally with both the Columbus Metropolitan Club and the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
CMC has started hosting its forum discussions at the museum.
The library, COSI and NVMM created two "service nooks" at the main library branch. Bertley said these are physical spaces that have books that are either written by veterans or about veterans. He said the nooks also have stations where people can write thank you notes to veterans, ask veterans a question and also allows people to have an interactive experience.
"What's amazing is it connects and tells the story and shares veterans with a wider audience," Bertley said.
Bertley said NVMM is an amazing event space, which can lead to more revenue for the museum.
Bertley also said awareness about NVMM has to start in Columbus with veterans. He said many veterans don't know the museum exists, but neither do a lot of residents in Columbus and central Ohio. He said marketing and other ways of getting the word out can bring in more visitors.
"People know of us, but they don't know of us to the extent that we wanna be known as the national institution to recognize all veterans from all branches," Bertley said.
