2024 NRA Board Election Results

Just hearing the Four for Reform got elected to three year terms was great. Now that I’ve seen the results – holy shit! They got three of top five plus Dennis Fusaro who was less known finished at 16th place. I wish Rick Ector had finished higher but I’ll be happy that he got a three year term.

There are some real surprises here. First, that two ex-Presidents, David Keene and John Sigler, did not get elected. Second, that Kim Rhode was not elected given her Olympic history and that she was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the State of California. Third, that a sitting officer, David Coy, finished in 22nd place and “Friend of Susan” Janet Nyce in 24th place.

I am not sure why Carolyn Meadows who was too ill to testify in either person or by video in the New York trial finished in the Top 10. It could be name recognition or it could be a sympathy vote. It is my understanding that Wayne Anthony Ross of Alaska is also rather ill.

These results were all one could ask for and more. There were some who won that I’d rather not see on the Board but they are more than balanced out by Phil, Rocky, Buz, Jeff, Rick, and Dennis.

UPDATE: The vote for the bylaw amendment to add the new position of Chief Compliance Officer was “overwhelmingly” in favor of it. I think it is a good idea and I voted in favor of it. My only hesitation would be that the person selected should not have any connections to Bill Brewer.

Four For Reform Elected!

The members of the NRA just sent a clear message to the Board of Directors. They want reform and they want it now. The old ways of doing business just won’t cut it anymore.

Jeff Knox posted this to Facebook approximately an hour ago.

The Four for Reform candidates – Jeff Knox, Dennis Fusaro, Phil Journey, and Rocky Marshall – got on the ballot thanks to the many members who signed their petition. Even with the shenanigans from the Nominations Committee of padding the ballot, all four were successfully elected to full 3-year terms.

Additionally, Rick Ector who bucked the Cabal by endorsing Wade Callender to be the next EVP was elected to a full 3-year term.

I have not seen who else was elected. I did see a comment from Gina Roberts on the Members Take Back Our NRA Facebook page that she did not win election. It will be interesting to see who will be running for the 76th Director.

As soon as I can obtain a complete list, I will post it.

Now for a word of caution. This was a great win for the members but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. Moreover, it must be borne in mind that the Board is just too damn large with 76 members and even five members committed to reform will have a hard time changing things. It will take time which, to be honest, the organization doesn’t have a lot of to spare.

One final note and this is not related to the Board election. Judge Phil Journey is the lead individual plaintiff in a Federal lawsuit along with the attorneys general of 21 states challenging the new ATF rule that redefines “engaged in the business” of firearm sales. I will have more on that suit in another post.

NRA Ballots Due In One Month

Ballots for the 2024 NRA Board of Director election must be received on April 28th. Assuming you are a NRA voting member, if you have not sent in your ballot, do it now! Again, I would urge you to bullet vote and not vote for the full 25 candidates that you are allowed.

You can see my ballot here. I voted for the Four for Reform plus Rick Ector as he broke with the Old Guard to endorse Wade Callender for EVP. Owen Buz Mills is also worthy of your vote but he had requested people bullet vote for the Four for Reform. He was of the opinion that he would be elected anyway. I also voted to add the Chief Compliance Officer bylaw change even though I think it is closing the barn doors after the horses have escaped.

While I don’t think four or five people are enough to change the direction of the NRA but it is a start. With the issues facing the NRA and how the current Board has failed in its fiduciary duty, we need to start somewhere.

Below are two documents that were exhibits in the jury trial phase of the People of New York v. NRA et al. The first is a move by Joel Friedman, who by the way is on the ballot, to do most meetings in executive session so they can act in secrecy. This move was seconded by Tom King and Marion Hammer. Secrecy and “Wayne said” is what go the NRA into the trouble – both financial and legal – that it currently faces.

The second document involves a discussion of a Facebook group founded by Save the Second co-founder Ron Carter. Ron is a friend of mine and is one of the good guys. He is not only a competitive shooter but took a leave of absence from his day job in order to provide humanitarian aid to the civilians of Ukraine. Regardless of your opinion of that conflict, ordinary people needed help and he stepped up.

The discussion by the Board members revolved around certain Board members who had joined the Facebook group and what sort of retribution should be meted out to them. You will remember that the New York jury found the NRA guilty of retribution against whistleblowers. Look especially at the comments from Charles Cotton, Marion Hammer, and Willes Lee.

Here is a link to the document as it isn’t showing correctly when embedded.

My 2024 NRA Ballots

Here are my ballots for the 2024 NRA Board of Director election and for the bylaw change.

Now to explain my votes. It should go without saying that I support the Four for Reform. I signed and promoted their petitions to be on the ballot as well as have supported them here. I would love it if they ended up as the top four winning candidates.

I would have voted for Owen Buz Mills except that he told Jeff Knox that he wanted people to bullet vote for the Four for Reform. As to why I added Rick Ector as the fifth candidate, his “missionary work” in Detroit in which he has introduced thousands of women is worthy of recognition. Just as importantly, he bucked the Old Guard aka “The Cabal” when he endorsed Wade Callender to be the next Executive VP of the NRA. These two factors were why I added Rick to the list of candidates for whom I voted.

While I consider the bylaw change to add a Chief Compliance Officer independent of the EVP as closing the barn doors after the horses have escaped, it is a reform in the right direction. I worked for 25 years in the financial services industry and we always had a Chief Compliance Officer. There were times I thought they were a bit “nit-picky” but their goal was to protect both the company and the client. If I had questions on something such as a political contribution, I knew I could reach out to them for advice on the best way to handle it.

While the appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer must wait until the vote is tallied, it appears that a candidate has been hired in anticipation of the bylaw change. Robert Mensinger was hired by the NRA in September 2023 as a Managing Director. He holds a law degree, has had an extensive career as a compliance and business integrity officer, and spent almost 25 years working as a Special Agent/Criminal Investigator for the Small Business Administration, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and Treasury Department. My only reservation about Mensinger is that he was selected for his present job by Wayne LaPierre upon the advice and counsel of Bill Brewer. Other than that, he seems ideal for the job. Only time will tell if I was worried about nothing which is my actual hope.

UPDATE: This is just a reminder that you should vote by NAME and not by NUMBER. There are 5 or so different ballots and the order of the names varies. It is randomized as a security measure.

NYSRPA Recommendations? Fuhgettaboutit!

The New York State Rifle and Pistol Association has made their recommendations for the 2024 NRA Board election.

Beyond appalling, these recommendations show they were not paying attention during the recent trial in New York.

The NRA was found liable for failing to properly administer charitable assets under the Estates, Powers, and Trusts Law (EPTL). Despite this they recommend David Coy who was Chair of the Finance Committee and Vice-Chair of the Audit Committee. They were also found liable for a related party transaction in payments to David Keene that was not properly approved even after the fact.

Moving on, Charlie Beers was the person who submitted the “Wayne is the greatest, past, present, and future” resolution at the 2022 NRA Meeting of the Members. Janet Nyce is now the de facto leader of the “Friends of Susan” contingent on the Board. Meanwhile, Joel Friedman and Don Saba didn’t think having a succession policy more substantial than the bylaw that has made Andrew Arulanandam the Interim EVP was needed.

Here is what they expect you to do with these recommendations.

My suggestion?

The Bachenberg Letter

I know the title to this post sounds like a Cold War thriller set in a divided Berlin. However, it is about a long email sent out on Monday by William “Bill” Bachenberg to fellow members of the NRA Board of Directors.

He makes some interesting points in his message to the Board. They include the need for a well thought-out strategic business plan for rebuilding the NRA, deciding what they are seeking in a new Executive VP, expanding the search committee beyond Board members, and establishment of a non-Board Advisory Council. There are other points upon which I might disagree. For example, having Donald Trump Jr. serve as a National Spokesperson. While I like Don Jr. and I really like his Field Ethos publication, any person selected to serve as a National Spokesperson has to be dedicated solely to the NRA and no other organization or cause.

Bachenberg describes himself as a “board outsider” in his own words. Given he has served on the Board for almost 20 years, I was wondering about that. I reached out to some former Board members who said he was part of the Old Guard and not willing to rock the boat. Another said he thought Bachenberg was “part of the sheep team that follows the cabal.” I am not a conspiracy theorist but the copy of his email I got had first been forwarded by Marion Hammer. Notwithstanding his being part of the Old Guard, one former Board member allowed that he thought he was on the mark about the EVP nominating committee.

Looking to his business experience, Bachenberg was the founder and CEO of Data Base Services International until 2012 when it was acquired by Xand. Then he moved into a senior advisory role with the combined company. He and his wife Laura also own Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays in Coplay, Pennsylvania. Bachenberg also established Camp Freedom which is a 2,300 acre outdoor adventure camp for disabled veterans.

A quick search finds that Bachenberg has been quite involved with Republican politics in Pennsylvania and especially with the Trump campaign. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that he and his wife had donated over $500,000 to support Trump, other GOP candidates, and PACs in 2020. He was the co-chair of the Sportsmen for Trump PAC. He is also involved in some political controversy. He chaired the slate of so-called “fake electors” submitted to Congress after the 2020 election. It may be why he was subpoenaed by the Democrat’s January 6th Committee. Of course, the fact that a NRA Board member member was subpoenaed was news in and of itself.

I would be remiss if I didn’t note that Bachenberg is on the ballot for the 2024 Board election. He was, as you might expect, nominated by the Nominating Committee. I would note that his committee service does not include anything related to the Audit, Finance, or Ethics Committee.

As I said earlier, he does bring up some interesting ideas. It is just a shame that they are only now coming out at this late date. From what I can tell, he never broached any of these suggestions prior to Wayne leaving.

Forwarded Message —–From: William Bachenberg <wab@nradirector.com>Sent: Monday, February 26, 2024 at 11:24:53 PM ESTSubject: EVP Search

Dear Board Members,

I have read the appointment of a search committee and believe the formation of a search committee is the “cart before the horse.”  I believe we need to do a lot of soul searching on the future of the organization and this process MUST not be rushed. 

As a “board outsider” I’m extremely disappointed to say the least with the current search process, it defies many business best practices.  While these are fine board members, here we go again with the same mistakes of the past, looking inward for solutions instead of looking outside the organization for greater experience and expertise. 

Being on the board for 20 plus years I have seen (and experienced) the alienation of many strong business leaders who were members of the board because leadership did not listen to us or leverage our business skills.  Hence, most of those board member business leaders have not run for re-election.  Every re-election I ask myself why run again since the organization has marginalized (no excluded me) in utilizing my 45+ years of business, technology and non-profit experience.  I question why have a board of directors that management does not leverage?  The only reason I keep running is a few board members convince me to stick it out because change is coming.  Well change has been now “force” upon the organization and I’m not a quitter. 

First, the organization needs to reflect on the past to plan for the future.  This requires evaluating the whole organization and then what a new organizational structure looks like for the future.  Our current organizational structure has been flawed for years after we grew past 50 million dollars, yet no one would listen or acknowledge it.  I had to completely reinvent my technology company four times over a 32 year span to survive or I would have joined the tens of thousands of technology companies that failed over those years.  As with any organization, it is extremely hard to make large changes.  I had first-hand experience with having to make massive changes and us humans are not that acceptable to change.

I believe we are rudderless in many areas due to the current financial difficulties and loss of great staff.  For the organization to survive, now is the time to re-evaluate and update our core mission(s) along with defining a new organizational structure for the future.  A well thought out written strategic and business plan for rebuilding the organization is mandatory at this time.  How can we develop comprehensive job descriptions without know what we are hiring for?  The new strategic plan needs to be done with open minds, with internal and external resources, and experienced individuals.  Hard decisions need to be made leaving self-interests at home on which programs survive for the good of the organization, the membership and the Second Amendment.  Many hard decisions are coming our way and we need a strong plan to guide us.  Next would be the review our Bylaws what might need to be considered/updated with any organizational changes and leadership duties.  This strategic planning also aids with evaluating building/office space needs if we are still planning on moving or right sizing the current headquarters building.

Second, this brings up what position(s) are we hiring for: Chief Executive Officer(EVP)? Chief Operating Officer? National Spokesperson? Who else?  All of the proceeding?  We need an updated organization chart that supports our strategic plan, not the other way around.  I believe at a minimum it will show we need a person that who is called a Chief Operating Officer in the business world (you can call that person the EVP if you want).  That person needs to be a proven business professional that runs the day-to-day activities of the organization.  This does not have to be a “gun” person, we need a seasoned business professional!!!  I also believe we need to hire a National Spokesperson to be the face of the NRA and will have no distractions of running the day-to-day operations.  A couple of years back Don Trump Jr contacted me if NRA was looking for a National Spokesperson, he saw the need.  He did preface, “I don’t want to deal with any of the operational bullshit.”  I’m not sure what he would say today, but when the time is right I can ask him if he might be interested if requested by the board.

Once we identify the positions we need to fill, we need to develop their job descriptions. What are the salary ranges? Where will they be based?  Travel?  What criteria will be used to evaluate and rank the candidates?  Then we can only begin a real search.  Then what search firm will we use?  I also do not believe that the additional hires beyond the COO/EVP should be solely left to a new leader at this time.  The board of directors must be involved in hiring them too.  The board finally needs to take charge and lead!!!

Third, it appears we have not learned from history that elevating/using board members for important positions/activities has not yielded great results.  Why is the search committee only composed of board members?  Do any of these individuals managed large multi-million dollar organizations?  Probably one.  Do any of these individuals have extensive experience in interviewing and hiring senior leadership positions?  Do these individuals have peers that can assist with the search?  We had a few past board members with extensive business experience, why were they not appointed to the search committee for their experience?  There are many allied very large organizations that have extensive experience with executive searches and hiring executive leadership.  Why are they not part of the process?  Our allied partners should also be part of the process of rebuilding our organization in order to begin rebuilding trust with this segment.

Forth, We need experienced business leadership advising the organization.  I’m tired of hearing over the years we are a non-profit.  NO WE ARE NOT!!!  We are a business that must have income and must have profit to survive.  We need to act like a business.   Now is the time to create a small group of “business professionals” made up of a few board members and outside business leaders to help guide senior leadership back to fiscal soundness and the prestige the NRA once earned.  Call it an Executive Advisory Council if you want.

I don’t have all the answers, no one does, but this should start the conversation for the future of the NRA.  Now is the time to consider these observations, challenge them, build on them and improve on them.

One of my favorite sayings “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, you don’t have time to do it a second time.”  As I said earlier we have the cart before the horse with appointing a search committee with no direction.

We are sitting on the edge of a razor blade, NRA can become ten times more effect than we ever were or fade to be a minor league player.  Or worse, disappear altogether if we do not act with sound business solutions and practices.

Let’s put our differences to rest, let’s all work to build a strategic plan for the organization’s future and then staff for greatness.

The free world is watching, we can’t let our members, America’s gun owners and manufacturers down at this critical time.  LET’S GET THIS RIGHT, the stakes are too high and there will be no second chance.

Respectfully,

Bill Bachenberg

Vote Four For Reform

The official NRA magazines with the ballots for the 2024 Board of Directors election have started to arrive. The Complementary Spouse and I both received ours today.

I would urge you in the strongest possible terms to bullet vote, i.e, only vote for these candidates and no others, for the Four for Reform. While there are a couple of others deserving of your vote, it is essential that these four get elected.

All four are on the ballot as a result of your efforts in signing their petition. We need people like them on the Board as they won’t put up and shut up. Indeed, both Judge Phil Journey and Rocky Marshall were retaliated against for standing up for what is right. That retaliation has led to the NRA being charged with violating the State of New York ‘s whistleblower law. This is one of the charges that the jurors in the New York trial are in the process of deciding guilt or innocence.

So few of the eligible voters actually vote that every vote for these four is critical.

We don’t know the outcome of the trial in New York and we don’t know what remedies Judge Cohen will impose if the NRA is found guilty. He could dissolve the current board and reduce it in size. He could appoint a special overseer. He could appoint a temporary board of people who are not tainted such as these four. He could do all of these things and that is why support for clean, untainted candidates is so important.

I Endorse Four For Reform

The NRA’s trial in New York has provided more than enough evidence that many members of the Board of Directors ignored their fiduciary duties. Many thought loyalty to Wayne was the same as loyalty to the organization. It was not.

The ballots for the 2024 Board election go out to eligible voters in the March issue of the NRA official magazines. Not only has the Nominations Committee stacked the ballot with retreads, they are the same people that allowed the rot and corruption to grow. They include people like former NRA President Carolyn Meadows who currently is considered too ill to testify either in person or virtually in the NY trial. It also includes 2nd VP David Coy who served on the Audit Committee for many years who voted to approve questionable expenditures after the fact.

There are four people on the ballot who were not put there by the Nominations Committee. Dennis Fusaro, Judge Phil Journey, Jeff Knox, and Rocky Marshall are on the ballot by petition. In other words, enough of you who are voting members said you wanted them on the ballot. They are untainted by the corruption of the past and are running on a platform of reform. I wholeheartedly endorse all four and would urge you to give them your votes.

The only two current Board members I might consider voting for are Buz Mills and Rick Ector. As evidenced by his letter to the Board exposing the backdoor shenanigans to make Charles Cotton the next EVP, Buz is not a go-along to get-along sort of guy. Rick Ector had done phenomenal grassroots work in the Detroit area introducing thousands of women to self-defense through firearms training. He also bucked the trend with his endorsement of Wade Callender for the EVP.

If it were me, I would not consider anyone else on the list of candidates. The four petition candidates plus the two that have bucked the system are the only candidates that I think will work day in and day out to restore and reform the NRA. We need an effective and untainted NRA. Now is the time to do it.

Padding The NRA Ballot

When the NRA Nominations Committee first released their list of nominations for the 2024 Board of Directors election it had 28 names on it. As I noted at the time (Sept. 27th), 25 of those on the list were current board members with 23 having been nominated in 2021. The only three new persons nominated were Craig Haggard, Susannah Warner Kipke, and Gina Roberts.

Fast forward to early November when the complete ballot with the four petition candidates was released. I did not take notice of it at the time but the Nominations Committee had added another two nominees to go along with the four that were on the ballot by petition. I’ll attribute my oversight to being on vacation with family as well as being excited that all four petition candidates had made it.

The additions to the ballot were former NRA President Carolyn Meadows and Greer Johnson of Duluth, Georgia. Ms. Johnson, 72, is on the Board of Trustees of the NRA Foundation. I have been told she is or was a “Friend of Wayne”. Meadows and Johnson both have served as officers on the Board of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association in Georgia at the same time. Note that these two were added to the ballot before Wayne LaPierre resigned.

Adding more people to the list of nominees aka padding the ballot is meant to decrease the odds of one or more of the petition candidates being successful in their quest to be elected to the Board of Directors.

What makes this more egregious is that the Nominations Committee had to be aware that Mrs. Meadows’ health was an issue. Going back as far as the 2020 NRA Annual Meeting in Tucson, it was apparent from her video appearance that she was suffering from a neuro-muscular illness of some sort. More recently, she was supposed to be a witness in the NRA trial in New York City. Attorneys for the NRA informed the NY Attorney General’s Office in mid-December that her health might not allow her to testify in person at the trial. This was amended to both in person and virtually.

From the letter to the court by the Attorney General’s Office:

On January 5, 2024, the NRA finally provided a medical affidavit for Ms. Meadows. Ms. Meadows’ physician represents that she is unable to testify in person or virtually because of her health condition. Subject to a representation from NRA counsel that Ms. Meadows did not attend, in person or virtually, the January 2024 Board meeting, Plaintiff will use Ms. Meadows’ videotaped deposition in lieu of live testimony.

If Mrs. Meadows’ health is such that she cannot even testify virtually, how can she effectively serve on the NRA Board of Directors? The answer is she cannot and it is a disservice to the members of the NRA to even nominate her.

You Did It!

Through your efforts and that of other like-minded people all four petition candidates made the 2024 NRA Board election ballot. I don’t remember this many petition candidates on the ballot since I’ve been a voting member.

Jeff Knox, Judge Phil Journey, Rockey Marshall, and Dennis Fusaro will definitely be on my list of endorsed candidates. I might add Rick Ector given the great work he does in Detroit in bringing women into the gun culture.