AFCC Heritage Center’s new Curator
It is our honor and privilege to announce the first curator for the Air Force Cyberspace and Communications Heritage Center, Mr. Dan Williams. Mr. Williams brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position having served 15 years as a historian in the United States Air Force, with the last seven being at the Air Force Cyberspace Capabilities Center (AF/CCC), previously the Air Force Network Integration Center. His efforts while historian at the CCC were vital to creating the Air Force Cyberspace and Communications (AFCC) Heritage Center we have today, and under his curatorship more great things are on the horizon.
Thirty-five years in the making, the artifact collection at Scott AFB, IL is poised for growth. It took over a year to staff and receive approval for the creation of the AFCC Heritage Center, which was dedicated in February 2020. When this happened, the United States Air Force created a unique place that details the history and tells the stories of its cyberspace, communications, and information technology professionals.
This also made other opportunities possible. First, the heritage center could partner with a 501 (c)3 private organization solely responsible for supporting the center. This has been the case since January 2021 with the establishment of the AFCC Heritage Center Association. In addition, the Air Force could hire a permanent museum curator solely dedicated to advancing its newest heritage center.
Since becoming curator in September of 2023, Mr. Williams has moved swiftly and secured funding to execute a contract with the HealyKohler Design firm of Washington D.C. to craft a master plan for the heritage center that will guide exhibits, web design, and marketing for the next five to ten years. This plan will be available in April 2024.
Stay tuned for what’s ahead as cyber and IT take center stage for the Department of the Air Force. The AFCC Heritage Center is emerging at the right time, and with Mr. Williams at its helm, it is even better set to deliver the amazing stories of our Air Force cyber and IT professionals from before the birth of or Air Force to today.