December 17, 2025
Leading through Complexity: Charlie Baker and Martha Sheridan in Conversation at USS Constitution Museum Leadership Forum
Charlestown, MA (December 16, 2025) — In Greater Boston, leadership is not a theory. It is daily work in real time, across institutions with strong identities, vocal stakeholders, and deep traditions. On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the USS Constitution Museum will bring together two of the region’s most influential voices for an evening devoted to that challenge.
At the Museum’s Leadership Forum at the Intercontinental Boston, NCAA President and former Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker will join Martha J. Sheridan, President and CEO of Meet Boston, for a candid conversation about what it takes to lead through complexity, create community across wide networks, and drive change inside organizations with strong, established cultures.
Guests will gather for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at 5:30 p.m., followed by the speaking program from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Intercontinental Boston, 510 Atlantic Avenue. Tickets are $125 per person and include a full bar and hors d’oeuvres.
Baker leads the NCAA, a national organization spanning more than 1000 colleges and universities, hundreds of thousands of student-athletes, and a web of conferences, media partners, and fans. Since taking the helm in 2023, he has focused on navigating rapid change in college sports while keeping the student experience at the center. Before that, he guided Massachusetts through economic ups and downs and a global pandemic, and built a reputation for practical, data-informed, and bipartisan problem-solving.
Sheridan is the architect behind Boston’s current momentum as a global destination. As President and CEO of Meet Boston, she leads a network of 1,000+ partners, including hotels, cultural institutions, small businesses, and major venues across the region. Under her leadership, Meet Boston has quadrupled its operating budget, helped secure seven FIFA World Cup 2026 matches, the 2023 Army–Navy Game, introduced the MICHELIN Guide to Greater Boston, and a surge of major conventions and events, fueling job creation, small business growth, and international visibility for Greater Boston. She is a nationally respected destination leader, a Boston Business Journal Power 50 honoree, and has appeared on Boston magazine’s 150 Most Influential Bostonians list every year since 2022.
Both leaders work in environments where no single person can simply give an order and expect compliance. Their success depends on building trust, aligning people who hold very different views, and honoring history while still nudging institutions into the future.
“Charlie Baker and Martha Sheridan are leading some of the most complex and collaborative systems in American life,” said Jeff Draeger, President and CEO of the USS Constitution Museum. “From college athletics to Boston’s visitor economy, they are navigating complex environments while guiding organizations that are decentralized by design and rooted in strong culture and tradition. This conversation will give Greater Boston’s civic and business leaders a rare chance to hear how they think about change, community, and responsibility in real time.”
Sheridan will moderate the Forum with an eye toward service, collaboration, and impact, drawing out the lessons that matter most to leaders trying to move a mission forward.
“Our Leadership Forum is for anyone who cares about leading well,” Draeger added. “It is not about abstract theories of leadership. It is about real stories, hard-earned lessons, and practical insights you can take back to your own work when the stakes are high and the people you serve are counting on you.”
The USS Constitution Museum Leadership Forum is a signature series that convenes leaders from the military, business, civic, and cultural sectors for in-depth conversations about leadership and service. Previous programs have featured voices from space exploration, history, and public life. Throughout these evenings, the Museum uses the stories and values of USS Constitution to spark dialogue about how we carry forward the ideals of courage, honor, and civic responsibility today.
Tickets and information:
Visit https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/leadership/ for details and registration.
About the USS Constitution Museum Leadership Forum
The USS Constitution Museum’s Leadership Forum convenes voices from history, public service, science, business, and the arts for dynamic conversations about leading with honor, courage, and a commitment to serve. The series connects timeless lessons to today’s challenges in a format that is both engaging and practical.
About the USS Constitution Museum
The USS Constitution Museum serves as the memory and educational voice of USS Constitution, America’s Ship of State, also known as “Old Ironsides.” Through award-winning exhibitions and programs, the Museum engages more than 300,000 visitors annually with the people, stories, and ideals that have shaped our nation. Located in the Charlestown Navy Yard, the Museum is a non-profit organization that relies on the generosity of its members and donors. Learn more at usscm.org/.
