A CPA mindset behind one of America’s most important cultural institutions

Running a world‑class cultural institution requires more than inspiration and passion. It demands disciplined financial stewardship, rigorous risk management, and steady leadership—especially in moments of uncertainty.

At The National WWII Museum in New Orleans, those responsibilities sit in the hands of Cathy Green, CPA, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.

Green’s role and her work alongside museum President and CEO Stephen Watson and other members of his leadership team illustrate how CPA skills extend far beyond traditional accounting. At the museum, she applies a CPA’s mindset—ethical rigor, analytical clarity, and calm decision making—to safeguard an organization charged with preserving history and educating future generations.

Its mission of preserving WWII history is urgent. According to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs statistics, 45,418 of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II were alive as of 2025.

From public accounting to enterprise leadership

Green began her career in public accounting, where she gained deep experience not only in financial reporting, but in systems, controls, and professional judgment. Today, those skills serve as the backbone of her leadership.

At The National WWII Museum, Green’s responsibilities go well beyond finance. In addition to overseeing financial management and reporting, she leads IT, legal, campus security, human resources, retail operations, audio‑visual operations, and risk management—an enterprise‑wide scope that reflects how CPA training prepares professionals to manage complexity at scale.

Managing risk across a complex operation

The museum, which is congressionally designated as America’s national museum focused on World War II, has a seven‑acre campus, hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, multiple revenue streams, and a growing digital presence.

Green oversees insurance programs, physical security, cybersecurity, staffing risk, financial controls, and audit —areas that demand precision and foresight.

From managing property and casualty coverage to strengthening cybersecurity across ticketing, retail, educational travel, and streaming platforms, Green applies the same discipline to identify exposures, build controls, and prepare the organization to respond, not to react.

This approach builds trust with the museum’s board, donors, and stakeholders. Strong governance and transparent financial oversight are not abstract concepts; they are essential to credibility, sustainability, and public confidence.

Steady leadership when it mattered most

Green’s CPA mindset proved especially critical during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Just over a year into her role, she played a key role in leading the museum through an unprecedented closure and financial disruption.

Using financial modeling and scenario analysis, she worked with leadership to assess cash flow, reserves, and operational tradeoffs. She helped guide difficult decisions around layoffs, while also capitalizing on opportunities to protect jobs through federal relief programs such as the Paycheck Protection Program and the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant.

The result was measured, calm leadership during extraordinary uncertainty. The museum reopened earlier than many peer institutions and emerged positioned to recover and grow—preserving its mission at a moment when it could not afford to falter.

Trust as a professional currency

Green describes herself as a calming force with a reputation built over decades in positions of trust. As a CPA, she operates within clear ethical guardrails—treating confidentiality, judgment, and responsibility as non‑negotiable.

That trust enables her to serve as a true advisor to leadership and the board, ensuring decisions are informed, prudent, and aligned with the organization’s long‑term mission.

Why this matters to business decision makers

Cathy Green’s work demonstrates how CPAs deliver value well beyond the balance sheet. The CPA skill set—analytical thinking, disciplined risk management, ethical leadership, and clarity under pressure—translates directly to enterprise‑level impact.

For business leaders, her story spotlights what a CPA brings to the table: not just financial accuracy, but stability, resilience, and trusted leadership when it matters most.

(Photo courtesy of the Society of Louisiana CPAs)