Board has launched nationwide executive search for successor to build on Saucier’s legacy of innovation, opportunity and accessibility
After serving nearly eight years as president of Sullenberger Aviation Museum (SAM), Stephen Saucier has announced his plans to retire at the conclusion of the museum’s fiscal year. The SAM Board of Directors has launched a national executive-level search for Saucier’s successor, with plans to have a new president in place later this summer. Saucier will continue to lead the museum until the search is complete.
Under Saucier’s visionary leadership, which spanned an international pandemic, a brand-new multimillion dollar three-building campus, located in Charlotte, NC, and the museum’s first-ever capital campaign, SAM took on a new mission and ethos, transforming from a collection of storied aircraft to a regional economic driver and innovation hub. Since the museum’s highly anticipated reopening in June 2024, it has welcomed more than 60,000 visitors and over 7,000 students for STEM-based field trips, solidifying its role as a convenor of opportunity, education and inspiration.
“After years of collaborating with dedicated community partners, donors and an exceptional team of best-in-class experts, historians, curators and educators, it has been the honor of a lifetime to help shepherd the transformation of Sullenberger Aviation Museum into its expanded role as beacon of innovation for our community and for ‘Airheads’ everywhere,” said Saucier. “This museum stands as a testament to what is possible when a strategic vision and unwavering perseverance in belief of a mission meets community support. As I enter this next chapter, I do not only with immense gratitude for everyone who has made this institution what it is, but equally with supreme confidence in the museum’s continued growth and opportunity for impact in the years to come.”
After previous leadership roles with mission-driven institutions including the Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute (PARI), the North Carolina Grassroots Science Museums Collaborative and KidSenses Children’s Interactive Museum, Saucier began his tenure as president of SAM in 2017 when the museum was in its previous iteration as the Carolinas Aviation Museum and facing a critical inflection point. Rapid growth at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport necessitated the repurposing of the museum’s original hangar that was generously provided by the Airport. Instead of seeing this as an end, Saucier and the museum’s staff and board seized the opportunity to rethink how the museum could better serve the Charlotte community and fill needed opportunity gaps. The team redefined the museum’s value proposition to that of a STEM incubator and connector to expanding careers in aviation, bringing unique opportunities and impact to the Charlotte region that no other institution could provide.
Over the next five years, Saucier and the board – led by then-Chair and former Chief Financial Officer at Bank of America, Marc Oken – spearheaded a $34 million “Lift Off” capital campaign, culminating in the creation of SAM’s state-of-the-art, 105,000-square-foot campus just steps from one of the world’s busiest airports, set to generate more than $8.4 million in economic impact in 2025. To enhance its existing collection of aircraft and lean into its reimagined mission to educate, elevate and inspire, the museum made several key investments, including the Honeywell Makerspace and the museum’s Flight Forward Program, which connects students with STEM careers through partnerships with educational institutions, nonprofits and aviation professionals.
“While Stephen’s external leadership across milestone moments has been heralded and is not to be overlooked, his lesser-known leadership efforts, whether championing his team or having critical conversations with local stakeholders, and his ability to galvanize the community around SAM’s mission was most crucial to the museum’s survival and success during a pivotal moment,” said Oken, who helped raised $10 million in the first few months of capital campaign outreach and cemented the museum as a key investment priority for the Charlotte community and the State of North Carolina. “Stephen’s steadfast leadership and clear vision has not only preserved the legacy of the Carolinas’ rich aviation history but also laid the groundwork for an inclusive and innovative future. His efforts have united a community of supporters, ensuring that SAM remains a place where people from all walks of life can be inspired by the boundless possibilities of aviation.”
One of Saucier’s most pivotal roles was his longstanding partnership with Capt. C.B. “Sully” and Lorrie Sullenberger, whose relationship with the museum began after the then-Carolinas Aviation Museum became home to the iconic “Miracle on the Hudson” Airbus A320 in 2011. Saucier helped champion a citywide 10th anniversary celebration in January 2019 for Flight 1549 – which was en route to Charlotte after taking off from LaGuardia Airport and hitting a flock of geese, necessitating an emergency landing in the icy Hudson River. The event included a celebratory luncheon of over 700 attendees with Charlotte dignitaries honoring Capt. Sullenberger and the Flight 1549 crew, a panel with the passengers and crew members, a private champagne toast for passengers in front of the storied plane and the museum’s viral #MiracleMoment campaign, which encouraged individuals to share little miracles from their lives over the past decade.
Then, in 2023, Saucier oversaw the rebranding of the museum to its current Sullenberger moniker, honoring Capt. Sullenberger’s unparalleled contributions to aviation – achievements made possible through years of specialized training in STEM. While the museum continues to house the Flight 1549 plane and corresponding passenger and crew stories and artifacts, SAM’s newly envisioned mission as a vehicle of opportunity for the next generation is also deeply personal for Capt. Sullenberger, who has long been an ardent advocate for flight safety and the promotion of education and innovation within aviation.
“Though at first, I said landing in the Hudson River was the result of ‘us just doing our jobs,’ I think everyone involved did their jobs exceedingly well, better than could have been expected under those circumstances and required all our knowledge, skill, experience and judgment,” said Capt. Sullenberger. “A true servant leader through the museum’s many iterations, Stephen has always understood the importance of the ‘behind-the-scenes,’ and how crucial investments in STEM will be for the continued evolution of our industry. Stephen has the same reverence for the Flight 1549 story that my family and I do, and I could not be more grateful for his strategic and visionary leadership and keeping the museum’s mission at the forefront of everything he does. I look forward to seeing the museum continue to grow and evolve in the years to come.”
In addition to housing the story of the “Miracle on the Hudson,” SAM’s three-building campus features 40 aircraft across three thematic areas: Innovation Nation, Aviation Society and the soon-to-open Aviation City. As part of its commitment to opportunity, the museum has also acutely focused on accessibility, ensuring that everyone – regardless of physical, economic or verbal capabilities – can have exposure to the transformative power of flight and STEM education. Inspired by a personal passion and calling for accessibility, Saucier helped to oversee the inclusion of wheelchair-accessible exhibits, SNAP/EBT memberships and sensory-friendly tools.
“It takes a special kind of person to lead a museum without walls, and for so many years, that’s exactly what Stephen did. He relied solely on his vision for what could be to inspire and excite our community and garner support for this transformative, and now game-changing, cultural institution and innovation incubator,” said Tim Miller, chair of SAM’s Board of Directors. “Thanks to his tireless dedication and ability to both articulate and rally support for the museum’s mission, SAM is poised to make a profound impact on the Charlotte region for generations to come. His efforts have ensured a solid foundation for future growth, and we are committed to identifying an equally visionary successor who will continue to build on this momentum.”
The SAM Board of Directors has started the process to identify and select a president who will build upon Saucier’s enduring legacy. Saucier’s concluding milestone as president will be the completion of museum’s second and final phase – the restoration of the Historic Hangar, which was constructed between 1936 and 1937 by the Works Progress Administration and will house the museum’s Aviation City exhibit. Set to open this summer, Aviation City will explore the economic and cultural development of Charlotte’s and the Carolinas’ past, present and future.
