WINGS OVER THE ROCKIES AIR & SPACE MUSEUM

Denver

News: Maj. Gen. John L. Barry, USAF (Ret.) on Monday announced he is retiring as president and chief executive officer of Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, a post he has held since January 2017.

The museum’s board of directors has engaged Kittleman & Associates to guide the search for Barry’s successor. Barry will depart once his replacement is on board.

“Wings Over the Rockies holds a special place in my heart,” Barry said, adding, “Since Day One in taking this role on, I have been committed to inspiring innovation and action for the next generation of aviation and space explorers in Colorado.”

When Barry started at Wings Over the Rockies, located on the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, he faced the challenge of opening a second site at Centennial Airport, now known as Exploration of Flight. Working with board members and staff, he assembled a team that negotiated a $3.3 million, zero percent loan from the Walton Family Foundation that allowed Exploration of Flight’s Blue Sky Gallery to be built in record time.

Today, the Wings Blue Sky Aviation Gallery is a dynamic, flight-focused exploration center that offers visitors interactive flight-related experiences and exhibits. The 15-acre campus also includes a charter middle school for more than 200 students and a soon-to-be-developed Food Hall and an additional hangar.

Board chairman Charlie Johnson praised Barry for his leadership in making Wings the “most exciting and innovative museum and aerospace center in the United States.”

Barry’s love for aviation started as a kid growing up in the Bronx, New York. That love grew as he graduated with honors from the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. From the academy, he launched a 30-year career with the USAF, serving as a combat pilot with 270 hours of combat time.

He retired as a major general in 2004 and served his last tour on active duty as a board member and executive director for the Space Shuttle Columbia accident investigation. From 2006-2013, Barry served as superintendent of the Aurora Public Schools and went on to become president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Denver, a post he held from 2014-2016.

About the organization: The nonprofit Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum was established in 1994 and is Colorado’s official air and space museum. It is committed to educating, inspiring and exciting all people about aviation and space endeavors of the past, present and future.

Website: wingsmuseum.org

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