NEW ORLEANS (August 17, 2026) — The National WWII Museum has announced the election of James E. Maurin as 2026–28 Chair of its national Board of Trustees, as well as its recently elected Board Officers and Trustees. Maurin follows outgoing Board Chair Suzanne T. Mestayer, whose tenure from 2024 to 2026 included the Museum’s 25th anniversary milestone and the launch of Victory’s Promise, a 10-year, $300 million comprehensive fundraising campaign aimed at sustaining, expanding and transforming the Museum’s educational impact over the next decade.
Maurin has been an ardent supporter of the Museum for over a decade, first joining the Board in 2013. As Board Chair, Maurin will guide the institution’s efforts to build upon the progress made in first year of the campaign and broaden its reach both in New Orleans and beyond. The Museum is working to enhance its campus with new and refreshed exhibits and experiences; develop a dynamic digital presence; and expand its traveling exhibits program, teacher training opportunities, classroom-ready resources and digital collections content to bring WWII history to communities across the country.
The officers charged with leading the Board of Trustees through 2028 include:
- Board Chair: James E. Maurin
Founder and Past Chairman, Stirling, Covington, Louisiana
Maurin is one of the founders of Stirling Properties and served as Chairman for 30 years. He serves on the boards of Ochsner Health, where he was previously Board Chair; Highland Cashiers Hospital; International Council of Shopping Centers; and the LSU Foundation. He is also a member of Tulane’s Freeman Business School Council, Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO Gold) and Chief Executive Organization. - Chair-Elect: Sonia A. Pérez
President (Retired), AT&T Southeast States, Mission, Texas
Pérez is a public board director and served as President of AT&T Southeast States from 2018 until her retirement in 2022. During her 40-year tenure at AT&T, she provided strategic direction for growth across Louisiana, North Carolina, and Kentucky and advanced technology and infrastructure investments. Previously, she served in leadership positions in Houston and South Texas. She serves as a Board Director for Hancock Whitney Corporation as well as Vice Chair of their Credit Risk Committee and Chair of their Trust Committee. - Secretary: John M. Hairston
President & CEO, Hancock Whitney Corporation, Gulfport, Mississippi
Hairston has served as CEO of Hancock Whitney Corporation since 2006, having joined the company in 1994. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the New Orleans Business Council and held leadership roles as Chair of both the Mississippi Gaming Commission and the Gulf Coast Business Council. He currently serves as Chair of the Mississippi Business Alliance. - Treasurer: Pete November
President & Chief Executive Officer, Ochsner Health, New Orleans, Louisiana
November serves as the President & Chief Executive Officer of Ochsner Health. He was named CEO in 2022 after serving in numerous senior leadership positions within the organization since 2012. November is a member of the Board of Trustees for the American Hospital Association. Additionally, he holds positions on the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Leaders for a Better Louisiana and the University of Kentucky Visiting Committee. - Immediate Past Board Chair: Suzanne T. Mestayer
Managing Principal, ThirtyNorth Investments, New Orleans, Louisiana
Mestayer is Managing Principal of ThirtyNorth Investments and serves on the boards of Pan American Life Insurance Group Inc. and Ochsner Health, which she previously chaired. She is also past Chair of the Business Council of New Orleans and the River Region, Loyola University New Orleans, Greater New Orleans Inc. and United Way of Greater New Orleans.
The four newly appointed members of The National WWII Museum’s Board of Trustees, who will serve three-year terms, include:
- C. Jeffrey Knittel, Chairman and CEO (Retired), Airbus Americas, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Knittel is the retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Americas. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum and currently serves on the boards of Air Transport Services Group, Atlantic Council, Memorial Hospital Foundation and the USO. He previously served on The National WWII Museum’s Board of Trustees from 2017 to 2023. - Scott D. Martin, President, Martin Commercial Interest, LLC, Houston, Texas
Martin is a private investor who co-founded Martin Midstream Partners L.P. (MMLP) during his 25-year career with Martin Resource Management Corporation. He has served on the boards of MRMC, MMLP, Inspiration Biopharmaceuticals, Cardinal Gas Storage, East Texas Mack Truck, Great Northern Timber Holdings, American Waterway Operators, River Oaks Baptist School, Boys & Girls Country, National Bleeding Disorder Foundation and the University of Arkansas Walton Business School. He is a member of Young Presidents Organization (YPO Gold). - Jake Olivieri, Director, Fixed Income Trading; Raymond James; New York, New York
Olivieri is a Chartered Financial Analyst and a Director of Fixed Income Trading for Raymond James. Outside of his professional career, he regularly volunteers at local food banks and participates in and raises funds through the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. As the great-great-grandson of local boatbuilder Andrew Jackson Higgins, designer and manufacturer of the famed Higgins boats, he grew up understanding the significance of World War II and New Orleans’s role in preserving that history. - Anthony Restel, Chief Banking Officer, First Horizon Bank, New Orleans, Louisiana
Restel is the Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Banking Officer of First Horizon Bank, where he previously served as President of Regional Banking and Chief Operating Officer. As COO, he played a key role in the successful integration following the 2020 merger of First Horizon and IBERIABANK, where he spent 19 years in roles including Chief Financial Officer, Chief Credit Officer and Treasurer.
The Museum’s newly appointed Trustees bring the Board’s total membership to 51 business and philanthropic leaders representing Washington, D.C., and 19 states. For a complete list of members, visit the Museum’s national Board of Trustees webpage.
The National WWII Museum tells the story of the American experience in the war that changed the world—why it was fought, how it was won, and what it means today—so that all generations will understand the price of freedom and be inspired by what they learn. Dedicated in 2000 as The National D-Day Museum and now designated by Congress as America’s National WWII Museum, the institution celebrates the American spirit, teamwork, optimism, courage and sacrifices of the men and women who fought on the battlefront and served on the Home Front. For more information on Tripadvisor’s #1 New Orleans attraction, call 877-813-3329 or 504-528-1944 or visit nationalww2museum.org.