Amanda Suffecool

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Rightsizing Vs. Merely Downsizing

January 16, 2026 by 3 Comments

Amanda Suffecool is now the chair of the NRA’s Special Committee on Reorganization and Leadership. As I noted in my report on the NRA Winter Board Meeting, there was a great deal of discussion within that committee on finding the right size for the Board of Directors. There were quite a diversity of comments and suggestions. They ranged from leave it as is to set up a board of 12 paid managers.

Amanda has sent me an open letter that she requested I post which I was more than happy to do. The letter includes some of her thoughts on the matter. I am in full agreement that the Board needs to be a working board. There is no room for slackers who just want the title of being a director without putting in the work. The days of giving out honorific directorships similar to honorific doctorates awarded at university graduations are over.

More importantly, Amanda wants your thoughts on rightsizing the NRA Board of Directors. You can send your thoughts and ideas to her a couple of ways. First, she requested that you use eyeonthetargetradio@icloud.com if you want to use email. Second, there is good old USPS snail mail. The address there is PO Box 77, Wayland, Ohio 44285.

Her open letter in its entirety is below:

An Open Letter to Our Members    1/15/26
From the Chairman, Committee on Reorganization and Leadership

Dear NRA Members,

The Committee on Reorganization and Leadership has been hard at work on several important initiatives—one of which concerns the composition of our Board. You may hear this referred to as board size, board reduction, or, less charitably, tossing the bums out. I prefer to call it right-sizing the Board—ensuring that it is structured appropriately for the work our organization must accomplish.

Many voices are calling to make the Board smaller. But before we decide that a smaller Board is the answer, we must ask the more important question: What problem are we trying to solve? Reducing the number of members may not be the root issue—it may be merely one proposed solution.

So, I ask you to think deeply and share your thoughts. What are the real concerns driving these calls for change? Is it cost? The potential for misuse of resources? Challenges in decision-making? Comparisons to other organizations? Identifying the true problem allows us to address it effectively and craft lasting solutions.

Here are some key issues I believe we need to acknowledge and tackle:

1. A Trust Problem

We have faced serious challenges that tested the very stability of our organization. At one point, we were just a few votes away from losing everything. The battles on the Board floor were intense and critical. As we now consider ideas like appointing board members instead of electing them, I urge caution. Ask yourselves—Who do we trust enough to make those appointments? At this time, I would argue the answer is, quite simply, no one.

2. An Attendance Problem

Too often, Board members have been elected and then disappeared—never showing up, never contributing. This is a working Board, and that means full participation. Members must be active in committees, attend meetings, understand the ongoing motions and votes, and be able to speak knowledgeably about the issues before us. We need engaged members who are present and committed.

3. An Attitude Problem

Some Board members have seen their role as one of directing others rather than doing the work themselves. That won’t do. This organization needs leaders who contribute—who lend their skills, their networks, and their energy. This is not a role for those who want to take; it’s for those who want to give.

The Committee on Reorganization and Leadership has already taken steps to address some of these issues:

  • Attendance Accountability: We passed a resolution ensuring that attendance is now a key factor in the renomination process. Any member missing more than one-third of meetings in their three-year term will not be automatically reconsidered. They may still choose to run by petition, but effort will be required to retain their seat—a reminder that commitment matters.
  • Committee Reporting and Performance: Each committee now operates under a multi-step reporting plan with defined goals, milestones, and measurable outcomes. Committees must clarify their mission, track progress, and report results to the Board. We’ve enlisted members with expertise in key performance indicators to help guide this process.
  • Ongoing Reforms: We are developing further measures that define the responsibilities and expectations of all Board members to ensure that each plays an active role in the organization’s success.

But now, back to the central question—Board size. Before we can decide what the right number is, I need your help in understanding why you believe a smaller Board is better. I’ve heard many suggestions: smaller boards, appointed boards, boards limited to specific skill sets. These may all merit discussion—but please, let’s not start with the solution.

Help us start with the why.

With respect and appreciation,


Amanda Suffecool
Chairman, Committee on Reorganization and Leadership

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2026 NRA Board Endorsements, Part 2

January 6, 2026 by 7 Comments

There are good people on the Board running for re-election and there are newcomers who need to be on the Board. This set of endorsements features two of each. The incumbents are Charlie Hiltuenen and Amanda Suffecool while the two newcomers are Huey Laugesen and Randy Luth.

Given the recent resignations from the Board, I have no doubt that they will be elected but I think it is important that they get three year terms. This will assure some continuity on the Board as we go forward with the necessary reforms.

Charlie Hiltunen

Charlie won the 76th Director spot in 2025 and most certainly needs to win a 3-year term. He is the chair of the Legislative Policy Committee and you could not ask for a better chair for that committee. His experience as a lawyer, lobbyist, and legislative counsel for over 40 years brings a lot to the table in that committee and serves as a valuable counterpoint to staff. More importantly, he is committed to reform. He provides answers to a lot of top questions on his campaign’s FAQ page. In addition to the NRA Board, Charlie is the president of the Indiana State Rifle & Pistol Association.

Charlie is a Hoosier by both education and upbringing. He brings that midwestern sensibility to what he does on the Board and in his professional life. I am proud to endorse him for a 3-year term on the Board of Directors.

Huey Laugesen

Huey is the Executive Director of the Colorado Shooting Sports Association. He is on the ballot by petition and I was happy to support his petition drive.

I serve on the Membership Committee with Huey and I am convinced he is someone who needs to be on the Board for a variety of reasons. First, he has successfully increased the membership of the CSSA by 170% in the last two years. His use of targeted mailings in that state should be used as a guide by the NRA.

Second, Huey is on the frontlines in the battle for the Second Amendment in Colorado. That state is a prime example of how a state can go from good to bad in a short time. His organization along with the Mountain States Legal Foundation is fighting back against Colorado’s permit to purchase scheme with a lawsuit in Federal court.

Finally, Huey brings youth to the Board and will help us find ways to attract Millennials and Gen Z’ers to the NRA. That said, Colorado State Representative Ava Flanell who I met at the Gun Rights Policy Conference said of Huey that he was “an old soul.” By that, she meant he was wise beyond his years.

Randy Luth

Randy has been in the firearms industry for a long time. He founded and then sold DPMS Panther Arms. He later started Luth-AR which is the current company he heads. The Nominating Committee set their priorities which included those from the firearms industry, those involved in competition, and those with financial experience. Randy brings those to the table in spades!

More importantly, Randy has been committed to NRA reform for a long time. He was one of the first in the firearms industry to call out publicly the grifting of Wayne and his cronies. He also called for new leadership and urged the firearms industry to withhold financial contributions until such time as it came about.

The bottom line is that Randy stood up when few in his position would. For that and many other reasons, Randy has my vote.

Amanda Suffecool

I was first introduced to Amanda at the SHOT Show in the mid 20-teens and we have been friends ever since. She and I were for a long time co-hosts of the Polite Society Podcast until Paul Lathrop decided to bring it to a close. I have appeared on her nationally syndicated Eye on the Target Radio show a number of times.

Amanda is currently chair of the NRA Media Committee which was the merger of the former Publications and Public Affairs Committee. However, she is much more than that. She is an engineer, a trainer, an activist, a shooter, and a fashionista. She worked as a manufacturing and quality engineer with multiple industrial companies until her retirement. Amanda is certified in multiple NRA training areas. As an activist, she has been a leader in Women for Gun Rights aka The DC Project as well as chair of the Portage County (Ohio) GOP party. She was a delegate to the 2024 RNC Convention. Oh, and that fashionista thing, if you haven’t been to one of her concealed carry fashion shows, you are missing out.

In 2023 when Amanda first ran and was elected to the NRA Board of Directors, I did not endorse her. It was a strategic thing as I felt an endorsement would hurt her chances of being elected given my outspoken criticism of the NRA. Indeed, I made no endorsements that year but I did vote for her. This year I am very happy to give Amanda my endorsement for another 3-year term. She, like Rob Beckman, is double nominated and that is a credit to her for seeking nomination both ways.

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Two More Reports About The Winter NRA Board Meeting

January 16, 2025 by 3 Comments

NRA Board members Amanda Suffecool and Jeff Knox have posted their reports and observations of the NRA Board of Directors meeting held this past weekend in Dallas.

First, from Amanda, in part, which was posted on RugerForum.com:

…the big items were that the SLC Special Litigation Committee was disbanded and the power was transferred back to three pronged control. The inside General Counsel, the EVP/CEO (Doug Hamlin) and advisory control to the committee chaired by Sandy Froman which I believe is called Legislative Action Committee (which is primarily made up of Lawyers on the board, and who either advises General Counsel and EVP or sends it to the full board for vote) Look at this one as Sunshine is the best disinfectant.

One that was a BIG issue in my mind and the nuances seemed to be missed by the reporters above was a resolution authored by J Sigler that was three parts. The first part wrestled operational control and management approval from the EVP and placed it with the board. the third part put an approval of the hiring of a second level of management with the board instead of with the EVP and Operations. In my opinion – in an attempt to maintain control and to keep the WLP days of overreach from happening – this was a resolution that would have SLOWED down change, improvements and recovery. It would have had the board approving and second guessing any major decision that the departments want to make. This process as outline in the authors own words could have taken as much as 4 months to complete each time. here is an explanation of it I gave on one of the Forums.

The resolution was egregious. It would have SLOWED down the forward momentum of these new energized folks. The argument on the floor was energetic with both sides of the issue sure that they were right. Some saw safety in extreme oversight ( to avoid past sins from happening in the future) while others saw it as an impediment to much needed progress. In the end the resolution was voted down and Doug retains oversight to operations with the board providing directional advisory guidance.

Amanda also noted a number of Board members were prevented by bad weather from making the meeting. Even worse, some got part way there and then got stuck in airports. She also reported that the management team that Doug Hamlin has assembled from both new hires and long-term NRA employees seemed both professional and collegial.

Moving on to Jeff’s report which was posted today on Ammoland.

The SLC lived up to its contentious record right up to the end however, with their last official act being the filing of a notice of appeal in the New York AG case. For practical purposes, the notice has the effect of retaining the option of filing an appeal within the next 6 months. Had the NRA not filed the notice by a Friday, January 10 deadline, the window for filing appeals would have been closed permanently.

The notice of appeal was also the final major act of Brewer Attorneys and Counselors as the NRA’s outside counsel. The firm has terminated its representation of NRA, with only a few housekeeping and transition matters left to clear up.

The object of the NRA’s appeal would be the judge’s early decision to toss out the NRA’s claims of First Amendment violations by AG James. This should not be confused with the NRA’s other First Amendment case against New York, which was titled NRA vs. Vullo and Cuomo, commonly referred to as the Vullo case. That case did a side-track to the US Supreme Court, where NRA won a unanimous decision on a portion of the suit. It was then remanded back to the lower courts for further action and is still ongoing. That SCOTUS decision might put the NRA in a better position in an appeal on this case, but that is yet to be thoroughly explored.

There was significant debate over the filing of the notice of appeal during committee meetings. Unfortunately, with the deadline for filing falling on the day before the Board meeting, the full Board wasn’t able to debate the pros and cons of the action or offer an advisory vote on the issue. The Legal Affairs Committee did look into it, but it was clear that the members of the SLC had already committed to the idea of filing, so any other debate was moot.

The matter was only briefly touched upon during the meeting of the full Board, as Directors already had a very full agenda to cover. Nonetheless, debate continues, with some calling for immediate withdrawal of the notice, while others argue that the appeal should proceed.

My position on the matter is, while I disagree with the way the notice was filed, I don’t see that it creates any significant problems or harm to the Association. The NY AG has a 10-day window to file a counter-appeal, but I’ve seen no indication that she intends to do so. Frankly, the AG’s office doesn’t need NRA’s notice of appeal to instigate further action. Since the notice has been filed, I think the best course for the NRA to take now is to consult with knowledgeable attorneys, then present the Board with a comprehensive report on the pros and cons of pursuing the appeal. A final decision can be made at our next Board meeting after the Annual Meetings in Atlanta this spring.

I would love nothing more than to have a successful suit against Letitia James and New York for her politically motivated attacks on the Association, but I don’t want to spend millions of dollars on a dead end. If the lawyers conclude there’s a very good chance of a resounding win with substantial compensation coming back to NRA’s treasury, I’ll support it, otherwise I’ll advise we walk away.

Jeff has a lot more to say and I suggest reading his whole post. I disagree a bit with Jeff on the filing of the appeal as I think it is both a waste of time and a waste of money. The Final Judgment was more than generous to the NRA and was more than I expected.

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An Apology Demanded Of Charles Cotton

May 20, 2024 by 3 Comments

This seems to be the night for letters!

Buz Mills, Bill Bachenburg, and Mark Vaughan are demanding that NRA President Charles Cotton issue a public apology to NRA Director Amanda Suffecool. This is for the unprofessional and unbecoming way he treated her at the NRA Meeting of Members on Saturday. At about the 31:25 minute mark of the second video in this post, Cotton challenges the statement from Amanda by saying, “you’ve been on the board, what a year”, as if that made her any less knowledgeable or competent. Amanda was, after all, an engineer for almost 40 years and knows of what she speaks.

Fortunately, the NRA members at the meeting were not having any of Cotton’s crap and booed him quite loudly. Now, the three directors mentioned above have sent out an open letter to all Board members demanding the aforementioned public apology. I could say more about what I think of Cotton as a person and as a supposed leader but I’ll save that for another day.

The full letter is below:

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The NRA Meeting Of Members – Part 1

May 19, 2024 by 2 Comments

The NRA Meeting of Members was one for the history books. For the first time in recent memory, you had sitting Directors speaking out in opposition to the leadership. Though President Charles Cotton tried to control the meeting including putting a hard stop time limit on it in an effort to limit debate, it was evident by the end that control had passed to the members.

I regret somewhat that I could not be there in person to witness it. However, there have been some great reports on it from Twitter as well as a couple of videos that have since been posted.

Stephen Gutowski of The Reload did a great job tweeting from the meeting. Here are some of his reports from X or Twitter.

It was the resolution phase of the meeting where things started to go awry for the Cabal. Bearing in mind there was a hard stop to the meeting, they started with a resolution praising President Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX). While nice, it was an effort to run the clock out and not let any of the resolutions that were critical of the NRA or its leadership to be heard. (I have seen multiple resolutions that were intended to introduced that condemned Charles Cotton and his leadership.) They then moved on to what they assumed was going to be a resolution that in Texas would just sail through. The Cabal asked the members to approve a resolution approving moving NRA Headquarters to Texas.

Here is a blow by blow when Stephen’s tweet are rolled together.

There’s now a resolution to move the NRA’s headquarters to Texas. Leadership really wants to do this even though it would have no impact on the New York case. I honestly don’t know what significant benefit this would have for the NRA. 

A member asks what kind of fiscal impact a move from Virginia to Texas given the severe drop in revenue the NRA has experienced recently. NRA president Cotton claims it would be less expensive to operate in Texas. He says Texas has a lot of big companies, too. 

The member wants more specific details on the actual cost of the move. Cotton refers to Arulanandam for that. Arulanandam says the NRA’s current headquarters is too big for the 60 or so staff that actually go in on a regular basis. 

Arulanandam claims the current NRA building is also expensive to maintain. He also says people in Virginia don’t want to work for the NRA. So, he thinks Texas will be a better job pool. Cotton calls Virginia “DC south.” Sounds like an outright retreat from Virginia. Remarkable. 

Arulanandam claims selling naming rights for the new Texas buildings will cover the costs of moving. However, he’s not giving any concrete numbers. The member who asked about it isn’t satisfied with the responses. He wants hard numbers. 

NRA board member William Bachenberg gets up and claims the board hasn’t been given hard numbers on the cost of the mov either. He claims one estimate is $80 million. He also says they can’t sell naming rights for museum exhibits because they were previously sold. 

Cotton is now attacking Bachenberg directly. He says he is wrong and hasn’t been active on the board for years. 

NRA board member Jay Printz gets up and attacks Bachenberg, too. He has been an attack dog for leadership since the corruption scandal first erupted at the 2019 meeting. He jokes that he’s well known for cursing out the opposition. 

Rob Pincus, who was one of those opposition members back in 2019, gets up to speak against the Texas move. Or, at least, moving right now. 

I’m definitely getting some deja vu from the 2019 NRA members meeting. It’s not as roudy, but it’s very similar. 

NRA board member Maria Heil is now speaking in opposition to th Texas move as well. You’re seeing a lot more board members speak out against what leadership wants that usual. That’s very interesting. 

NRA board member Amanda Suffecool is now also speaking against the Texas move resolution. 

Cotton gets loud boos when he insinuates that Suffecool isn’t in a position to understand what’s going on with the move because she’s only been on the board for a year. The biggest reaction so far. 

The resolution to move to Texas is put to a vote. It fails. There was a big laugh when Cotton initially said who couldn’t tell which side won because it was pretty clear. 

And that is where the meeting essentially ended thanks to the Cotton-imposed hard stop.

Just a few comments with my impressions on the meeting. First, attacking gun blogs is ridiculous. I don’t know any gun blogger who doesn’t want the NRA to be more than it has been in the fight for 2A rights. If we have been critical of the NRA, it is because the corruption has impaired the never-ending fight with the gun prohibitionists. Second, Andrew Arulanadam suggesting “naming rights” for a NRA building in Texas would pay for the move is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard. To even suggest it is to insult our intelligence. Third, seeing Directors standing up to the Cabal was wonderful. Finally, Cotton attacking Amanda Suffecool was a big mistake and the members present let him know it with their boos.

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A Concealed Carry Fashion Show – The Horror!

May 30, 2022 by

My friend and fellow co-host of the Polite Society Podcast Amanda Suffecool has been producing a concealed carry fashion show for a number of years. It showcases a number of holsters, purses, and other gear that allow you to conceal your handgun. The event is always fun and the “models” are just average people.

This year’s event caught the eye of the British newspaper and online site The Daily Mail. They are horrified that it was held just days after the murders at the elementary school in Uvalde, Texas.

From the Daily Mail:

Many models appeared to show that concealed weapons didn’t mean you had to give up fashion as women and men were seen in various styles from secret agent-style suits to cowboy boots and sundresses. 

However, despite the fashionable ways the NRA’s models showed weapons can be concealed, the convention – which boisterously displays guns of all-types throughout Memorial Day weekend – comes after 19 children and two teachers were murdered in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. 

I am guessing the writer never heard Michael Bane say, “You are on your own”, nor believes that you are your own first responder. One gathers they would prefer to what for an unarmed Bobby to appear to save the day. Fat chance at that.

Here is some video from the event.

I recognize a number of my friends and colleagues in amongst the models and emcees. My suggestion is to look at the pictures and forget the rest of the story. I will say there some quite innovative ways to conceal your firearm shown.

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Armed Society Podcast

January 14, 2021 by 1 Comment

I was a guest on Armed Society Podcast with Paul Lathrop, Rob Morse, Amanda Suffecool, and Dianna Mueller. It was recorded on the evening of January 6th and you can guess the topic of our discussion. If you said anything other than protesters invading the Capitol, you’d be wrong.

I think we all understood the frustration of many but we also understood there is a line you shouldn’t cross.

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Eye On The Target Radio

August 10, 2020 by 3 Comments

I was a guest yesterday on Eye on the Target Radio with my friends Amanda Suffecool and Rob Campbell. We discussed both the case brought by New York against the NRA and the case brought by DC against the NRA Foundation.

You can listen to them in the embedded player below:


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The last time I appeared on their show discussing the NRA and its issues I was followed by NRA 2nd VP Willes Lee. Sadly, if he and his cohorts had only instituted positive changes instead of labeling me a “hater”, I don’t think the NRA would be looking at a potential dissolution or government-imposed monitor for the Foundation.

UPDATE: My part of the radio show begins in the second half. I should have noted that in the beginning.

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NRA Statement On AckMac Suit

October 29, 2019 by 1 Comment

As I said earlier, the NRA filed an amended complaint in their lawsuit against Ackerman McQueen on Friday. This lawsuit is before the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas.

Official Picture from Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors

Michael Collins, a partner in Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors and the NRA’s attorney in the case, released this statement regarding the amended complaint. It was released, I believe, on Friday.

“The NRA believes Ackerman McQueen breached its fiduciary duties, engaged in fraudulent billing, and failed to maintain adequate books and records – all in an effort to enrich itself at the expense of the NRA and its members, ” says Michael J. Collins, partner at Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors and counsel to the NRA. “The allegations reveal a pattern of corruption that included NRATV, a failed media enterprise the agency proposed, managed and sustained through misleading accounts of viewership and promised commercial viability. In the end, the NRA believes NRATV became all ‘smoke and mirrors’ – a vehicle touted by Ackerman for the sole purpose of continuing the flow of millions of dollars of fees which the agency needed to sustain itself.”

Collins continued, “At the same time, when questions began to arise about Ackerman’s billing practices and whether it was taking advantage of the considerable discretion it possessed in such matters, the agency stonewalled the inquiry and embarked upon a scorched-earth campaign against all of its perceived adversaries. Ultimately, this included the CEO of the Association, executives, and outside professionals charged with obtaining answers to legitimate concerns about the agency’s practices. The NRA and its members are determined to ferret out what now appears to have been a considerable amount of corruption.”

Again, thanks to Stephen Gutowski of the Free Beacon for posting the statement from Michael Collins.

Amanda Suffecool of Eye on the Target Radio made a comment about this case tonight as we were recording the Polite Society Podcast which I thought was insightful. Watching the NRA/Wayne LaPierre and AckMac go after one another is like watching a bitter divorce in action. You have both parents fighting over the marital assets, you have both parents fighting for custody of the kids (the NRA members), and both parents are slinging mud for all they are worth. In the end no one wins and the kids are the victims.

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“What Is The DC Project” – Watch And See

January 23, 2019 by

The DC Project is the brainchild of competitive shooter Dianna Liendorff Muller. Launched a few years ago, it seeks to have one women from each of the 50 states to go to DC to lobby on behalf of the Second Amendment. These dedicated women converge on DC at the same time and seek meetings with various representatives and senators to discuss why they support gun rights as women’s rights. That is kind of a hard proposition for a rep to turn down without looking virulently anti-woman.

Amanda Suffecool of Eye on the Target Radio and the Ohio representative to the DC Project clued me in that they had just released a couple of videos explaining it. One is a short one-minute video talking about the women of the Project while the second is longer and explains it.

First, an explanation of the Project:

And then an overview of the women.