The Board
Ken Bowra
President
Ken Bowra retired as a Major General after over thirty-three years of service in the United States Army. He has commanded Special Forces units at all levels including serving as a Special Forces reconnaissance team leader in MACV-SOG during Vietnam service where he conducted long range operations against deep North Vietnamese targets, Commander of a “Green Light” Special Atomic Demolitions (SADM) High Altitude Low Opening (HALO) Special Forces Detachment through contingency operations in Afghanistan.
He was appointed as a senior Foreign Service Officer in the Department of State in February 2009 and was assigned to the U.S. Embassy, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he directed a Department of State Interagency Counter Terrorist Program.
He was inducted into the Special Forces Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member of the Regiment. As an Eagle Scout and Scout leader, he has been active supporting Scouting in his assignments.
Silas Baum
Vice President
Silas Baum is a local small business owner and Navy Veteran. He has worked with veteran and community organizations over the last 10 years. He currently serves as a Director with the Rotary Club of Newport News, and a lifetime member of the American Legion Braxton-Perkins Post 25, the post that founded our beloved museum over 100 years ago. In a professional capacity, Silas serves as the Virginia Peninsula Association of Realtors Public Policy Committee Vice-Chair, as well as the Property Managers Committee, helping to shape local legislation to protect property rights. Silas and his husband live on the Virginia Peninsula with their two dogs and cat.
Archie Scott
Treasurer
COPY INCOMING
Anne Miller
Newport News Superintendent of Historic Services
Anne Miller is the Superintendent of Historic Services for the City of Newport News. In this role, she oversees 10 historic sites and five museums, including the Virginia War Museum. She is the chair of the Newport News VA250 Committee.
Ms. Miller began her career as a researcher at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. She served as Curator for 10 years at the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, then became Curator of Historic Houses for the City of Virginia Beach. She subsequently served as Director of the Virginia Beach History Museums and Historic Resources Coordinator for Virginia Beach. She is a graduate of Yale University, LEAD Hampton Roads, and the History Leadership Institute. She is a seasoned author, editor, speaker, and teacher, as well as a Navy wife.
Harold (Doug) McDougal
BA,MA (Sacramento State University), PhD (University of California at Davis, School of Medicine)
Commissioned Officer, USAF (Active 5 years, Reserve 8 years)
Tour in Vietnam, June 1962
Founding faculty of Eastern Virginia Medical School (1973-1985)
Founder of London Bridge Trading Company (LBT), a US Government Contractor which designs and manufactures tactical equipment
Founder of Southeastern Guns and Knives, a gun show promotion company
Virginia War Museum Foundation, Member for over 20 Years. Involved in many museum restoration projects and events
Holds a current Type 10 Federal Fire-arms License with SOT
Life Member NRA (1974)
Private Pilot’s License
Tim Smith
COPY INCOMING
Melissa Kuhn
Melissa Kuhn is the co-owner of Ghengis Leadership Strategies, LLC, a firm specializing in strategic leadership optimization and advisory services. Dedicated to empowering leaders, she provides strategic clarity that enables clients to build a foundation for future success.
In addition to her work in leadership consulting, Melissa is an experienced homeschool educator and event coordinator. She holds an academic background in American Studies and Executive Leadership, which informs her multifaceted approach to education and organizational development
Robert S. McKenna
Serves as the Virginia Peninsula Chamber President/CEO and responsible for the management and operation of the 1000+ member and affiliates business development organization. Coordinates the development of public policy, fosters strategic alliances, and serves as liaison with regional military commands and installations. Facilitates the solution of business-related community issues through collaboration and facilitation by bringing solution-oriented resources together.
A 1984 graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy at King’s Point, NY.
Served for 27 years as a USN Officer, with service in five ships: USS Estocin (FFG-15), USS Fairfax County (LST-1193), USS Mobile (LKA-115), USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) and USS Ponce (LPD-15). Retired as a Captain in 2011.
Married for forty years, and raised four children with his wife, Kathy.
Sean Heuvel
Dr. Sean Heuvel is a higher education professional who has served in both faculty and administrative positions. He has worked at Christopher Newport University since 2003 and currently serves as Director of Graduate and Professional Enrollment. Sean is also one of CNU’s lead institutional history specialists and oversees efforts to help preserve and commemorate the university’s 65-year history. A military historian by trade, Sean specializes in the American Revolution as well as the Civil War. The author of several books and other publications, he holds an MA from the University of Richmond and a BA, MEd, and PhD from The College of William and Mary. Sean resides in Williamsburg with his wife Katey and two kids.
Sheri Shuck-Hall, PhD
Dr. Sheri Shuck-Hall is a Professor of History at Christopher Newport University. She serves as the chair of the History Department and the director of the Public History Center. In addition to teaching courses in public history and early America, Shuck-Hall directs the Public History Program, matching students with history internships with partnering agencies.
With over 30 years of experience in the field of public history, Shuck-Hall has worked as a consultant for museums, including the Atlanta History Center. She recently was a historic preservation expert for Cape Charles, Virginia, where she helped implement an economic impact survey and co-authored a study focusing on historic preservation best practices. Shuck-Hall also received the National Maritime Heritage Grant from NPS in partnership with The Mariners’ Museum. She is active in the 250th commemoration of the United States, collaborating with community non-profits on an exhibition at the Torggler Fine Arts Center.
Shuck-Hall is the author of Journey to the West: The Alabama and Coushatta Indians and co-author of Mapping the Mississippian Shatter Zone: The Colonial Indian Slave Trade and Regional Instability in the American South. She enjoys attending historical events (especially the Yorktown Fifes and Drums) with her two children and husband.
John Hyland
John Hyland is a Professor in the Department of History at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia. He holds a Ph.D. from the Committee on the Ancient Mediterranean World at the University of Chicago (2005), and specializes in the history of war and empire in world history, with a particular research focus on ancient Persia and Greece. He has written or edited several books, including Persian Interventions: the Achaemenid Empire, Athens, and Sparta 450-386 BCE (Johns Hopkins U.P., 2018); Brill’s Companion to War in the Ancient Iranian Empires (Brill, 2024); and Persia’s Greek Campaigns: Kingship, War, and Spectacle on the Achaemenid Frontier (Oxford U.P., 2025).
OUR MISSION
The mission of the Virginia War Museum Foundation is to conduct both private and public fundraising efforts, as well as community engagement activities, to support the ongoing programs and future growth of the Virginia War Museum.