At this year's National Rifle Association Annual Meeting & Exhibits (NRAAM), the NRA Board of Directors elected Doug Hamlin to serve as the organization's next CEO and executive vice president. Hamlin brings a deep well of personal and professional experience both inside and outside the organization. A former Marine Corps officer, Hamlin eventually entered the firearm industry with jobs in the publications sector, before finally settling at the NRA as its executive director of the Publications division. He has used this experience to hit the ground running in his new role, starting initiatives designed to reinvigorate and even renew the National Rifle Association.
Beginning in the Marine Corps as a young man, Hamlin served six years as an infantry officer, where he was also on recruiting duty. Following this work, where he was additionally tasked with a role in officer selection, Hamlin headed for the firearm industry.
As Hamlin himself tells it, "At that time, I was introduced to the Petersen Publishing Company through friends who were working for the company in Michigan. Since I was based in Los Angeles, I was able to apply there and ended up going to work for Guns & Ammo magazine in the late '80s and had a wonderful 14-year run there."
Working his way through the ranks of Petersen's, Hamlin eventually became publisher of MotorTrend, the company's flagship publication. Never one to sit still, however, Hamlin went on to embrace the dawn of the digital age by founding AutoMedia Solutions in 2003, which took advantage of the new media format to provide readers with the most up to date automotive news and information.
Eleven years later, he was recruited into the National Rifle Association as its executive director of Publications, an experience which he calls "the highlight of my career, up to this point," despite the fact that his resume includes the founding of his own company.
As divisional director, Hamlin worked with leaders and staffers across the organization, giving him a broad familiarity with its intricacies. This should help immensely in the achieving of his one goal: growth. The strength of the NRA has always been in its members, and the value of an increased membership base and increased participation by members cannot be underplayed. With this goal in mind, the NRA is set to become an even more powerful advocate for the rights of gunowners across our country.
"There's no question that we've contributed to society, and we will continue to do so," Hamlin remarked. "We want you to go to NRA.org, join, get your friends to renew their memberships, donate to our organization, learn about the programs that are available, and support the organization. We need you to come home. We need you now more than ever before."
