Speakers Bureau Presenters

CAPT. RICH ASARO

Asaro has been a volunteer at the Mariners Museum since December, 1998. He has also volunteered as a docent at Jamestown Settlement, as a guest Navigation Instructor at the Coast Guard Academy, and as a crew member aboard the Coast Guard Academy sail training barque USCGC Eagle.  

 COURTLAND BOSTIC

A retired bank vice-president and business owner. Prior to his financial work, Mr. Bostic was a cryptographer in the U.S. Army during the Cold War. He has spent the last several years as a Docent at The Mariners' Museum, where he was recently awarded the Hal C. Castle Educator of the Year Award.  

TED CROSSLAND

Conducted a U.S. Navy 24-year career of mustang submarine service. Following his military service, Ted was employed as an Engineering Program Manager at Newport News Shipbuilding. His 20 year service at the shipyard included ship design/build work. Ted is an alumnus of the University of West Florida at Pensacola, Florida and the U.S. Navy’s degree completion program. He has served the Mariners’ Museum as Docent and speaker since 1992.

 JOHN CROSWAITHE

Croswaithe is a graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. During his four decades long tenure with the U.S. Merchant Marine, he held many positions both ashore and afloat. His responsibilities included Stevedore Superintendent (Puerto Rico), Operations Manager (Dominican Republic), Sales Manager (Cleveland), General Midwest Manager (Chicago), General Sales Manager (New York), Vice President (New York), Executive Vice President (New York), and President American Export Association. Mr. Croswaithe has spent the last several years as a volunteer with the Mariners’ Museum, with much of his work in the Library.
 
 

  ANNA GIBSON HOLLOWAY, PhD

Dr. Holloway is the Archer M. Huntington Chair for the Study of History and Curator of the USS Monitor Center at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, VA. She also serves as Vice President of Museum Collections and Programs where she oversees the Curatorial, Collections Management, Education, Conservation and Exhibition Design functions of the Museum. Before the “cheesebox on a raft” entered her life, she was the Director of Education and Resident Pirate, also at The Mariners’ Museum. In the waning years of the 20th century, she was Manager of School Tour Programs for the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA and has also worked for Jamestown Settlement as part of the crew of the Susan Constant, and for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation where she was a puppeteer and understudy fire eater. This Winston-Salem native graduated from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro with baccalaureate degrees in English Literature and Medieval Civilization, neither of which was very helpful in fulfilling her goal of being a rock star. She received her Masters degree in Tudor/Stuart History and her Ph.D. in American History from the College of William and Mary. She and her husband Jim live in an old Sears kit house in Gloucester County where they serenade their cats, Moby and Quint, with stunning ukulele duets.

CARSON HUDSON

Hudson is passionate about history. He is a practicing military and social historian, published author, Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, and circus fire-eater. He lectures regularly at museums and colleges on a wide variety of subjects, but his particular interests are the Civil War, colonial witchcraft & piracy, and the history of American popular music. In his spare time he likes to sleep.

 CLAUDIA JEW 

(bio coming soon)

 DAVID KROP, MA

Krop is Director of the USS Monitor at The Mariners’ Museum. He manages the conservation of over 200 tons of metal and organic artifacts recovered from the wreck site of the USS Monitor. He also actively participated in the development of the USS Monitor Center’s award-winning exhibit, Ironclad Revolution.

He received a BA in history from James Madison University and an MA in underwater archaeology and maritime history from the program in Maritime Studies at East Carolina University. David spent two years with the Queen Anne’s Revenge Shipwreck Project, conserving artifacts from what is believed to be the remains of Blackbeard’s flagship that sank off NC in 1718. He has also participated in numerous underwater archeological field projects in Virginia, North Carolina, and the Caribbean.

ANNE-MARIE MILLAR

Currently The Mariners’ Museum Director of Education and Distance Learning Programs and has been with the Museum for a cumulative thirteen years. During that time she has served in a number of capacities including teacher and Elderhostel and LifeLong Learning coordinator. In addition she has developed numerous special educational programs and was the co-curator of the Museum’s exhibition Life’s a Beach. In her spare time, she works part-time for Colonial Williamsburg and Historical Diversions where she dresses in funny clothes and is a musical glasses player, puppeteer, mind reader, fire eater, and has been known to have stones broken on her chest with a sledge hammer. 

 THOMAS MOORE, MFA

Moore received his MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology in Imaging Arts with a specialization in Museum Studies, and his BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art in photography. He began as Curator of Photography at the Mariner’s Museum in 1991. Since then he has curated twenty-three exhibitions for the Museum, and written several articles on the subject of maritime photography. In addition to his responsibilities as curator and photo archivist, he is also Adjunct Professor at Thomas Nelson Community College, where he has taught the History of Photography, Intro to Digital Photography, and a course in Resume and Portfolio Preparation. 

 RUSS MORRISON, MA

Morrison is a Docent with a specialty in the history of the USS Monitor. He has given numerous lectures on behalf of The Mariners' Museum to various groups on the life of sailors aboard USS Monitor. Russ is a USAF veteran, retiring as a Colonel with Command Pilot Wings where he was recognized for his work as a war/contingency planner and a reconnaissance and surveillance expert. He served multiple tours as an exchange officer or coordinator with US Navy commands and in international joint commands. After retiring from the USAF he worked as an analyst, engineer, and manager for a large defense contractor. Russ holds a BS degree from the US Air Force Academy & an MA degree from the University of Nebraska. His ties to the sea include seascape painting, aquatic sports, underwater exploring, boating, renovating a beach house & study of maritime history. 

 RON LEWIS

Lewis is a Tidewater native. Born in Portsmouth, he was educated first at Old Dominion College (yes it was just a college back then) where he met his wife, Chris, then finished his education at an out-of-state institution. He works in Finance as a Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) for New York Life Investment Management and NYLIFE Securities. His only child is an Infant Cardiac Care practitioner in Phoenix, AZ where she and her husband have kidnapped Ron’s granddaughter, Emma. Emma, the bright and beautiful, is almost 10. Photos are available!
As a kid Ron fell in love with The Mariners’ Museum. He has spent nearly two decades as a volunteer docent; he is a Donor, the Past Chairman of the Bronze Door Society and an educator. He has created and delivered Museum programs for The CNU Life Long Learning Society, taught classes through Mariners’ IVC virtual classroom, and instructed new docents in the presentation of the Museum’s numerous galleries. Ron is a past recipient of the Hal C. Castle Educator of the Year Award.

 VINCE SCOTT

was born in Pittsburgh, PA. He spent four years in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Vince holds a Bachelors in Engineering and Nuclear Physics from the University of Pittsburgh. After graduating in 1950, Vince went to work for Bettis Atomic Power Lab. In 1972, Vince relocated to Hampton Roads as the technical advisor to naval reactors. Vince has been a docent at The Mariners' Museum since 1988 and is an expert on the miniature ships of August F. & Winnifred Crabtree. He is the author of The Miniature Ships of August & Winnifred Crabtree (2010).

CINDI VERSER

(bio coming soon)

 FREDERICK A. WALLACE, MA

Wallace earned a Bachelor Of Arts Degree in Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and a Master Of Arts Degree and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Art Conservation from the State University College at Buffalo, New York. Formerly Chief Conservator at the Cincinnati Art Museum, he has been with the Conservation Department at The Mariners' Museum since 2006, currently holding the title of Chief Conservator Of Museum Collections. Frederick also is President of the Virginia Conservation Association, having been elected to this position in May 2009.

 As Chief Conservator of Museum Collections, Fred is responsible for direction of the comprehensive conservation program for the care and preservation of the Museum permanent collection. In collaboration with Collections staff and other museum personnel, he strives to maintain optimum collections care standards and practices that advocate the long-term conservation of art and artifacts under the care of the Museum. Fred devises and implements strategies, procedures and treatment for the restoration and preservation of the permanent collection and other, non-collection items.