BATON ROUGE- The USS KIDD named an interim director following the resignation of the former director, Alejandra Juan earlier this month.

Mark A. Tullos, Jr. was named the interim director of the USS KIDD Veterans Museum by the Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission.

Tullos was named to the position at a recent Louisiana Naval War Memorial Commission executive committee meeting.

Monday marks Tullos’ first day of the job and will be meeting with staff members and getting acclimated with the musuem’s current operations.

“We are very fortunate to have Mark join us,” Commission Chairman Henson Moore said.

"His experience in museum management is just what we need at this point in our history and in our plans for the future,” he said.

A committee has been formed to search for a permanent replacement.

Tullos’ appointment comes after Alejandra Juan’s departure earlier this month after serving as the executive director for three years.

Tullos, is a native of Baton Rouge and a graduate of Louisiana State University, with graduate work conducted at Stephen F. Austin University.  

He has previously served as director of the Art Center in Waco, TX, the Armory Art Center of West Palm Beach, FL, the Alexandria Museum of Art  of Alexandria, LA, the Walter Anderson Museum of Art  of Ocean Springs, MS, the Museum of East Texas of Lufkin, TX, and the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.  

Most recently, he served as the director of the Louisiana State Museum system.  The system includes nine facilities located across the state.

“I look forward to working with the staff and volunteers as we meet present and future challenges for this great museum and memorial,” Mr. Tullos said.  “I cannot imagine a more important time to come on board than on the eve of Memorial Day and our upcoming 4th of July celebration,” he said.