The first steps to raising millions of dollars is bringing together a powerhouse capital campaign committee and connecting it with a community icon like the USS Midway Museum. And that’s what we have done. We are excited to announce the team who will be leading the fundraising efforts for Freedom Park at Navy Pier.
Jack McGrory, currently the CEO of the real estate investment company La Jolla Management, LLC, has taken the helm as the chair of the capital campaign committee. Jack, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served as a rifle platoon commander during the Vietnam War, has been a significant contributor to the greater San Diego community for decades and we are honored to have him leading the charge. He most recently headed up the fundraising campaign for the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park which opened in 2021.
Joining Jack as members of the committee include Jerry Sanders, CEO of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce; John Hawkins, former president and CEO of Cloud 9 Shuttle; retired U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Anthony Jackson; Tom Sudberry, founder of Sudberry Properties; Dr. Pha Le, senior physician partner at the Vituity Cares Foundation; Brandi Gill, senior legal counsel at L3 Harris Technologies; Chris Neils, chair of the USS Midway Museum; Ben Clay, chair of the USS Midway Foundation; and retired Rear Adm. Terry Kraft, president and CEO of the USS Midway Museum.
The campaign committee’s honorary members include philanthropist Malin Burnham; retired Rear Adm. Ronne Froman-Blue; philanthropist Debbie Turner; and the one-and-only retired Rear Adm. Mac McLaughlin. As we all know, Mac led the charge with the Port of San Diego and the California Coastal Commission for nearly two decades. His legacy will forever be connected to Freedom Park.
Freedom Park, which will be the largest veterans park on the West Coast, will tell the story of everyday heroes who served our country and preserved our freedom.
It is estimated that the park will cost approximately $65 million. Currently, nearly $29 million has been committed to the project from the Port of San Diego, the USS Midway Museum and, with the support of Cong. Scott Peters, through Community Project Funding distributed via the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. More than $36 million will be raised by the Foundation’s capital campaign committee.
We are grateful to this group of San Diego civic leaders, and to every one of you who helped make Midway a world-class museum. Your continued loyalty is critical to making Freedom Park a reality. This will be a multi-year project, so I’m excited to share more important milestones in the future.
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