A new president and CEO will lead the Florida Holocaust Museum as the St. Petersburg attraction wraps up a 14-month renovation and expansion project.
The museum announced that Eric B. Stillman will take over for interim CEO Mike Igel, who will remain a board member and chair the Elie Wiesel Collection project committee.
The downtown museum, at 55 Fifth St. S., will reopen Sept. 9 with a new entrance, enhanced security features, an open-air second-story balcony and a temporary installation housing elements of the Elie Wiesel collection.
When the full Weiseil exhibit opens, it will include the late writer, activist and humanitarian’s Nobel prize, office and library contents, and unfinished manuscripts.
The gallery will also include a new artifact: Thor, a Danish fishing boat used in the 1943 rescue of over 7,000 Jews.
Stillman has worked primarily within the Jewish nonprofit sector throughout his career., including as CEO of the Jewish Federation and Jewish Foundation of Nashville and Middle Tennessee and president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Broward County.
Stillman was also chief development officer for the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts and founded Triovate Analytics, which applies mathematical modeling and predictive analytics to predict and prevent antisemitism and other forms of hate incidents, according to a news release.
He will lead as the museum prepares to scale up educational programming, build organizational strength and increase visibility through contemporary exhibits, according to a news release.
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"With my deep personal commitment to and belief in the importance of Holocaust education, I know that the museum’s public programs, collections and resources are instrumental in helping society understand the lessons of the Holocaust and commit to fighting antisemitism," Stillman said in the release.
Igel, a grandson of Holocaust survivors who led the museum since last March, said Stillman's passion and experience will be invaluable to the organization's mission.
"Eric joins us at a pivotal time, as we look ahead to reopening our renovated and reimagined museum and continue to expand our impact far beyond our walls – and our region,” Igel said in the release.
The museum, which was founded in 1992, includes permanent and temporary exhibits on the Holocaust, the targeted murder of 6 million European Jews and other groups by the Nazi Germans before and during World War II
Before the museum temporarily closed in July, descendants of survivors told WUSF about the importance of telling accurate histories and explained the fear of fewer generations knowing about the Holocaust.
“The Holocaust was not a statistic. It was human beings … and every person had a life. I think it’s important for people to understand that this happened and that it was worse than anybody that hasn’t been through it can ever imagine," Sandy Mermelstein said in 2024.
To learn more about the reopening, click here.
To learn more about Stillman, click here.
