Newsmakers: January
2021 Issue

Second Amendment Foundation Names President

The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) named Massad Ayoob its president following the passing of Joseph Tartaro.

“We are both proud and delighted Mas Ayoob has assumed the SAF presidency,” said SAF Founder and EVP Alan M. Gottlieb. “Without a doubt, Mas Ayoob is a true defender of the Second Amendment, and his devotion to protecting and advancing the right to keep and bear arms will be critical as we face new challenges.”

Primary Arms Grows Team

Primary Arms announced two additions to its growing team: The Optics division named Terry Mears the director of product marketing, and Government division hired Richard Evans to fill the role of government L.E. sales agent for the U.S. central region. Primary Arms Government also promoted Jasmine Johnson to inside sales and acquisitions manager.

Mears will lead Primary Arms Optics’ product strategy and development to create innovative optics. As the former director of sales and product management, he played a critical role in the merchandising of optics products.

Over his 27-year law enforcement career, Evans gained expertise and instructor certifications in firearms, tactics, firearms-related equipment and gear. He also has over five years’ experience in government acquisitions, accounts/contracts and agency relationship management.

Johnson will be responsible for finding and researching prospective purchase deals while developing a comprehensive partnership strategy to support government sales. She joined the company in 2016 as a purchasing expeditor to support online retail operations. Since then, she’s worked as a main retail buyer, building product offerings while negotiating and strategizing with manufacturers.

1791 Gunleather Adds Manager, AR

1791 Gunleather recently announced two new hires: George Vilarino as the new regional sales manager for the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, and Jennifer Cranford has assumed the role accounts receivable.

Vilarino will oversee sales efforts in his defined region and joins the team with a wealth of experience leading sales and customer service efforts all around the world.

Alex Toussieh, CEO of 1791 stated, “[Vilarino] has a decorated resume and even spent some time at 1791 previously, so he brings knowledge of our industry and products that will allow us to continue serving our customers in his territory very well.”

Cranford oversees receivable accounts and purchasing activities for the company with over 20 years of management experience.
“We are excited to welcome Jenney to our growing team,” said Toussieh. “She has great energy and will fill much-needed roles on our accounting and purchasing teams.”

Gearfire Names CSO

Gearfire announced the promotion of Alexis Tunnell to chief strategy officer. She has served as Retail Technology Group’s director of implementation for the past two years and will be responsible for leading strategic cross-departmental initiatives for revenue generation.

Gearfire COO Chad Seaverns said, “Alexis’ expertise in regulatory compliance combined with her ability to identify gaps in business processes makes her a valuable addition to the team.”

Tunnell’s experience stems from positions such as executive director of regulated products at Orchid Advisors and executive director at FFLBizHub where she worked closely with officials from the ATF, FBI and law enforcement agencies to “write the book” on firearms compliance.

Have new hires or promotion announcements to share? Send releases to: editor@shootingindustry.com