BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — The National Corvette Museum Board of Directors has selected Sharon Brawner to serve as president and CEO of the National Corvette Museum. Brawner comes to the National Corvette Museum from Nashville, where she served as the longtime senior vice president of sales and marketing at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.
“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 a clear choice,” said NCM Search Committee Chair Kai Spande. “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.
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 and 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 the 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, Ky., and attended Western Kentucky University.
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