Bob Barr Elected NRA President, Doug Hamlin Elected to Serve as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO

by
posted on May 21, 2024
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
NRA Logo Lead

The Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA) elected former U.S. Congressman Bob Barr as President of the NRA and Doug Hamlin as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO. The meeting of the Board of Directors followed the 153rd NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits where over 72,000 NRA members filled the halls of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas to check out the latest firearms, gear, and accessories from close to 700 exhibitors. On Saturday, President Trump delivered the keynote address at the NRA Leadership Forum in front of a capacity crowd where he accepted the official endorsement from the NRA Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) for his re-election as President of the United States of America.

“I thank my colleagues for their support of my election as NRA President,” said Bob Barr. “I have been a fighter my whole life and I commit to boldly fight for our Second Amendment rights on behalf of the millions of NRA members. We need to grow our ranks, especially in this election year, and I pledge to focus my attention on doing just that.”

The NRA Board of Directors also elected Pennsylvania businessman William A. Bachenberg as NRA First Vice President and Mark E. Vaughan, President of the Oklahoma Rifle Association, as NRA Second Vice President.

NRA Executive Vice President & CEO Doug Hamlin recently served as Executive Director of NRA Publications. Prior to joining NRA in 2014, Mr. Hamlin had a long career in the publishing industry. For 14 years he served in numerous sales, marketing, and management positions at the Petersen Publishing Company. He also was vice president and group publisher of Motor Trend magazine and served as the publisher of Guns & Ammo magazine. Mr. Hamlin served six years on active duty as a regular Marine Officer, including serving overseas with the Third Marine Division. He also has been active in Veteran charitable causes.

“I am truly humbled to be elected by the NRA Board of Directors as the next Executive Vice President & CEO of the NRA,” said Doug Hamlin. “Our Association is at a decisive moment in our history, and the future of America and constitutional freedoms depends on the success of the NRA. I look forward to working with NRA staff to execute NRA’s gold standard programs and promote political and public policies that are in the best interest of our members and all gun owners.”

Following the election of Mr. Hamlin as NRA Executive Vice President, he re-appointed Randy Kozuch as the Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) and appointed Joseph P. De Bergalis, Jr., as the Executive Director of NRA General Operations.

The Board of Directors also re-elected Sonya B. Rowling as NRA Treasurer and John C. Frazer as NRA Secretary. This year, the NRA membership overwhelmingly voted to create the position of NRA Chief Compliance Officer. Robert Mensinger was elected by the Board to serve in that position.

Latest

Massaro Cleaning
Massaro Cleaning

Clean 'em Up—Gun Cleaning 101 for Hunters

Ever wonder how often to clean your gun? How about what to clean it with? How about what to clean it with if you're hunting at 40-below? Phil Massaro answers all these questions and more, in this clean-freaks primer.

Hunting Show Attendance Shattering Records

Attendance records have been shattered at this year’s major hunting shows. The latest, Ducks Unlimited’s DUX (Ducks Unlimited Expo), set a new high-water mark in Memphis, Tenn. According to the Commercial Appeal, the July to Aug. 2 event attracted roughly 30,000 attendees. The 2025 event, also held in Memphis, drew a crowd that numbered nearly 20,000.

The Colonel’s Caliber in an Interesting Rifle—.35 Whelen

“Only accurate rifles are interesting.” Townsend Whelen

New for 2026: Beretta A400 Solo

Beretta USA has launched the A400 Solo, a new semi-automatic shotgun engineered for hunters who demand performance in the harshest conditions. Built on Beretta's A400 platform and packed with the company's latest advancements, the A400 Solo combines Beretta's B-Link Pro gas-operating system, Steelium barrel technology and Kick-Off Plus recoil reduction system into one dependable platform.

Know How: Find Your Long-Range Limit

Curious where your ethical limit is in the field? Mark Kayser shows you exactly how to find it.

Smith & Wesson Honors America's 250th Anniversary with Limited-Edition Model 1854

Smith & Wesson has announced the launch of its America 250 Limited Edition Model 1854 rifle, created to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.