Brechin man to head up top US and global tourist attraction

A former Brechin man has been named as president and CEO of one of America – and the world’s – most popular tourist attractions.

Stephen Watson, current executive vice-president and COO of the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, will replace Gordon H. “Nick” Mueller when he steps down at the end of this month.

A Brechin native and graduate of Aberdeen University, Mr Watson has spent the past 15 years at the museum and during that time the institution has grown into a world-class, six-acre institution in downtown New Orleans and fundraising and design preparations for the final major projects in a $400 million capital expansion are nearly complete.

Congressionally designated as America’s Second World War museum in 2004, it was recently ranked in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards as the fourth top museum in the US and number 11 in the world.

“It has been an honour to have spent the past 15 years working with Nick, learning how to develop this extraordinary museum with the individual so instrumental in the its founding and expansion,” said Mr Watson.

“I look forward to leading the museum onward as we strive to complete our campus and develop new educational programmes that will help establish the museum as an international centre for WWII knowledge and education – both on-site and online.”

James Courter, the current museum board chairman, said Mr Watson was “the natural choice for this role”.

He said: “He is a remarkable leader who has an energetic commitment to the museum’s mission, and he is poised to expand the institution’s reputation for excellence both nationally and internationally.”

Mr Mueller, the museum’s founding president, created the national institution alongside Stephen E. Ambrose, his longtime friend and colleague at the University of New Orleans.