ROBIN KROHN DAVID Beacon Award

Robin was born and raised on the Mississippi Gulf Coast and served as the Executive Director of the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum since 1988 and retired in August 2025 after 37 years of expert guidance.

She previously was the Administrative Assistant to Mayor Gerald Blessey for 4 years before taking a leave of absence to raise her family. She is married to Rusty David and has two daughters, Megan and Shelby and one grandson. They both graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi, and the family attends Nativity BVM Cathedral in Biloxi.

Robin’s dedication to preserving the history and heritage of the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been her life’s mission. Not only through the day-to-day operations of the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum, but through her vision of growth and has she achieved this mission.

Throughout her tenure, Robin worked tirelessly to grow the museum and expand its horizons. Campaigning in innumerable meetings, appearing on newscasts and interviews, she fought valiantly to secure the approvals and funding for every single project. But her work did not stop there – she was hands on in every aspect. Whether it be cleanup, construction, exhibit design, or celebration for mission accomplished, Robin was present and active. She held those working to a high standard and herself to an even higher standard.

Working with master boat builders, she kept the historic Biloxi schooners alive with the GLENN L. SWETMAN and MIKE SEKUL which are moored at the Biloxi Schooner Pier Complex operated by the museum. She has been instrumental in developing the Billy Creel Memorial Gulf Coast Wooden & Classic Boat Show, started the Great Biloxi Schooner Races and the Race of the White Winged Queens, brought the schooners to New Orleans for the opening of the Aquarium of the America’s, where they were on tour. She brought a schooner to Tampa, FL for the Superbowl, and a second time for a Tall Ship Festival. In 1993, she spearheaded the organization of “Sea-n-Sail Adventure Camp” bringing the tradition and love of the Gulf Coast to the children through interactive and educational activities. Most recently, her cooperative efforts included moving and re-constructing the Hurricane Camille Memorial to the Museum grounds on the 55th Anniversary of Camille, August 2024.

All of this requiring coordinated efforts, Robin was able to work with the entire community in bringing her visions of growth to life. What she could not achieve single-handedly, she would reach out to the leagues of constituents and friends to accomplish. Her drive and heartfelt dedication to the Gulf Coast, maritime and seafood industries compelled the community to assist in any way they could.

Robin was one of several instrumentals in starting the MS Gulf Coast Attractions Association where she served on the Board of Directors as President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. She is a member of the Biloxi Bay Chamber of Commerce and served on the tourism/cultural committee, a member of the Biloxi Chamber of Commerce, the MS Museum Association, and of the American Sail Training Association. Not one to miss the revelry of the Coast’s Mardi Gras tradition, she was a Maid in both Krewe of Athena and Krewe of Bonne Vivantes. Robin also served on the Governor’s Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal/Tourism Committee and she was a Commissioner on the MS Gulf Coast National Heritage Area. Robin was a March of Dimes Spotlight on Success Honoree and was proclaimed a Preservation Hero by the National Trust for Historic Preservation for efforts to preserve the heritage of the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. Robin was presented with the Founding Fathers Award for her extraordinary contributions made on behalf of the Museum by the Museum Board of Directors. Most recently she was selected as the Most Successful 100 Women to Know by Gulf Coast Woman’s Magazine July 2024.

The MS Gulf Coast Attractions Association recently presented Robin with The Don Jacobs Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding accomplishments and years of dedication within the MS Gulf Coast Tourism Industry.

It is only befitting that Robin Krohn David be inducted into the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum’s Heritage Hall of Fame and be awarded the “Beacon” for her pioneering and guiding work in keeping the Gulf Coast’s history and heritage alive.