Kris Cole

Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Sullenberger Aviation Museum

Salisbury, North Carolina, United States

About

At Sullenberger Aviation Museum, I apply my years of experience and skills in fundraising, marketing, and donor relations to support the museum's mission of preserving and celebrating the legacy of the aviation industry. I am a creative thinker who thrives on finding win-win collaborations for mutual success. In my previous roles as Senior Director of Advancement at Carolina Raptor Center and Director of Philanthropy Operations at Levine Museum of the New South, I demonstrated my expertise in persuasive writing, public speaking, database management, process improvement, and campaign development. I also led and managed teams of staff and contractors, and worked closely with executive directors, board members, and other stakeholders to secure funding and increase awareness for the organizations. I am passionate about making a positive impact in the community and advancing the causes I believe in.

Experience

  • Sullenberger Aviation Museum (Full-time · 3 yrs)
    • Vice President of Marketing & Communications
      Dec 2025 - Jun 2026 · 7 mos

      Acting as a vital member of the executive leadership team at Sullenberger Aviation Museum, responsibilities include elevating the museum’s public presence while driving strategic growth through marketing, communications, and earned revenue initiatives. Lead the development and execution of integrated marketing and communications plans that amplify the museum’s mission — to inspire the next generation of aviators and innovators. In addition, directly oversee key revenue-generating departments, including retail operations, event rentals, and group sales, ensuring alignment between visitor experience, brand messaging, and financial performance. Reporting to the President & CEO, play a pivotal role in positioning the museum as a dynamic cultural destination, an educational leader in aviation and STEM, and a financially sustainable institution.

    • Interim VP of Advancement
      Dec 2024 - Dec 2025 · 1 yr 1 mo

      In this dual leadership role, I drive both the strategic and operational advancement efforts for the museum during a transformative period, including the June 2024 - June 2025 launch of our new multi-building campus at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. As Interim VP of Advancement, I lead fundraising, marketing, and donor engagement strategies that support the museum’s mission to inspire and equip future generations- particularly underrepresented youth- for careers in aviation and STEM. I also oversee all earned revenue streams including retail operations, facility rentals, group sales, and field trip programs, ensuring strong, mission-aligned financial performance. In parallel, I continue to manage core development operations, providing infrastructure and insights that power our capital campaign, major gifts work, and membership growth

    • Director of Development Operations
      Jun 2024 - Dec 2025 · 1 yr 7 mos

  • Senior Director, Advancement at Carolina Raptor Center
    Mar 2019 - Jan 2023 · 3 yrs 11 mos

    Key member of the senior leadership team, overseeing the marketing of all organizational product lines and the solicitation of gifts. Responsible for managing all individual, corporate and foundation relationships and worked with staff and Board of Directors to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward donors.   Managed the Marketing Coordinator, the Social Media contractor, the Advancement Manager, and a Grants Intern. Notable accomplishments: Worked closely with Executive Director to fund organization through the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020-2022. Migrated CRM, saving the organization $17k/year. Applied for and won a technology grant then served on committee to overhaul the organization's information technology infrastructure- migrating from a server to Azure, hiring a new managed service provider, onboarding staff to O365, OneDrive, and Sharepoint.

  • Director of Philanthropy Operations at Levine Museum of the New South
    May 2015 - Mar 2019 · 3 yrs 11 mos

    Works closely with the SVP, Development & Marketing and other colleagues in the Finance, Marketing, and Education departments to manage Levine Museum’s development database, gift processing, and reporting. Also analyze giving trends and develop strategies to drive lower-level annual giving ($1-999). Oversees the daily internal operations of the Development department, managing workflow, monthly financial reconciliations, and data integrity of donor information, while adhering to departmental policies and procedures. Responsible for creating plans to identify, cultivate and solicit annual donors and implement appropriate tactics to drive contributed revenue through direct mail, email and calling campaigns.

  • Volunteer at Girl Scouts of the USA
    Sep 2006 - Jan 2017 · 10 yrs 5 mos

    - Trainer, Outdoor Education, Enrichment and GS Leadership Experience since 2007 - Board Level Awards Committee Member since 2008 - Former Meck5 Service Unit Team, Service Unit Manager - Event Coordinator for several events from 50-200 girls and adults including SKY Leadership retreat 2013-2015

  • Volunteer at Girl Scouts, Hornets' Nest Council
    2006 - Jan 2017 · 11 yrs 1 mo

    Adult Learning Facilitator and Adult Level Support Volunteer