Newsmakers
July 2023
Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors Promotes CEO
Brittany French was promoted to the position of CEO at Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors, succeeding Mike Christensen, who will continue in a more administrative capacity as president.
“Since coming on board to head up our effort to get shooting sports participants out hunting, Brittany has demonstrated her exceptional ability to build this program. We look forward to Brittany taking the reins of this organization and leading it to its full potential,” stated Christensen.
French started her career with Pass It On – Outdoor Mentors in 2015 as a volunteer before officially joining as an employee in 2019 when she was tasked with growing the program to serve the vibrant shooting sports populations.
Caza Outdoors Names Merchandising Director
Caza Outdoors announced Chuck Anderson has joined the company as director of merchandising.
Craig Harrison, CEO of Caza Outdoors, said, “With Chuck’s decades of experience, he will be an integral part of our company’s growth leading our merchandise operations.”
Anderson most recently served as the merchant for the ammunition category at Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s, where he held various roles over the course of 23 years.
American Suppressor Association Taps Marketing VP
The American Suppressor Association (ASA) has hired Jessica Kallam as the VP of marketing.
Knox Williams, ASA executive director, said, “We’ve known Jessica for years, and have always admired and respected her work ethic and acumen. She brings a skill set that will dramatically strengthen the association and our ability to effectively advocate.”
Prior to joining ASA, Kallam was the VP of marketing, customer service and warranty for SilencerCo. During that time, she worked directly with ASA on multiple fundraising and awareness campaigns.
POF-USA Expands Sales Staff
To better address the unique need of POF-USA’s dealers within specific geographic areas of the U.S., Bobby Walla was hired as the eastern U.S. account manager and Lucas Feringa was promoted to western U.S. account manager.
Jeremy Selting, VP of sales and marketing at POF-USA, shared, “Creating the regional roles and filling the positions with top-notch salesmen was a high-level fiscal focus of ours. I cannot wait to see the impact that both Lucas and Bobby have for the dealers in their respective regions.”
Prior to joining POF-USA, Walla was a sales representative for ERGO Grips.
Lucas Feringa started at POF-USA just over a year ago as a general account manager.
Marolina Outdoor Inc. Welcomes Marketing VP
Marolina Outdoor Inc., the parent company of Huk Performance Fishing and Nomad Outdoor, has tapped Joe Becker as the VP of marketing for both brands. Becker will be responsible for leading and managing all areas of marketing for the Huk and Nomad brands.
“With an impressive career in the apparel and footwear industry spanning more than 23 years, we look forward to Joe leveraging his knowledge and experience in the industry to benefit Marolina Outdoor and our brands,” said Dean Rurak, Marolina Outdoor CEO.
Becker served in a variety of creative roles at Wolverine Boot, Merrell, Cat Footwear and Carhartt.
NSSF Manager Earns Accolade
Trade Show Executive (TSE) magazine named NSSF Manager of Conferences and Events Colleen Leonard a 2023 TSE Trailblazer, an honor recognizing future leaders in the trade show industry. TSE Trailblazers are selected by a panel of TSE editors based on various criteria, including demonstrable excellence in trade show management, innovative contributions, problem-solving and achievements within the last year. The program is open to non-executive-level staff of show management.
The Trailblazers were honored at TSE’s Fastest 50 Awards & Summit at the Miami Beach Convention Center and will be featured in an upcoming issue of Trade Show Executive magazine.
“Colleen is a big part of the success of NSSF’s conferences and events, so we’re very proud to see her receive this great recognition by Trade Show Executive,” said Melissa Schilling, NSSF managing director of exhibitions and conferences.
Leonard has been with NSSF since 2018 and assists in the planning and management of NSSF’s various conferences and events. Prior to NSSF, she held event management roles in the professional sports and entertainment arenas.
She is a graduate of Central Connecticut State University.
5.11 Tactical CMO Receives Award
5.11 Tactical’s Global Chief Marketing Officer Debra Radcliff was honored with a Top 100 Marketer Award by the 2023 OnCon Icon Awards which recognizes a group of industry leaders selected by peers for demonstrating outstanding leadership and innovation while creating success for their companies and a positive impact within their respective industries.
CEO of 5.11, Tactical Francisco J. Morales, said, “[Radcliff’s] guidance for our marketing and brand strategy has propelled 5.11 to new heights and she inspires all of us to strive to be the best we can while enjoying the ride along the way.”
Radcliff joined 5.11 Tactical in 2018 as the company’s global chief marketing officer after serving in various marketing leadership roles with Sports Authority, Home Depot and West Marine.
Orion Wholesale Selects Business Dev. Director
Orion Wholesale hired Mike Hutchings as the director of business development. He will oversee the growth and expansion of the company’s new business opportunities.
Hutchings noted, “Orion is one of the fastest growing most innovative wholesalers in the market, and I look forward to leveraging my experiences to help grow the success of this company.”
Smith & Wesson Mourns Loss Of Former CEO, Board Member
S&W announces former CEO and longtime board member Michael F. Golden passed away unexpectedly June 5, 2023. Golden was a pivotal member of S&W for many years and served as president and CEO from Nov. 2004 to Sept. 2011 and remained co-vice chairman of the board of directors until his passing.
S&W Chairman of the Board Robert Scott stated, “Mike’s leadership, dedication and service to Smith & Wesson across almost two decades have had tremendous impact on the company’s continuing success today. Mike has been a confidant, ally and friend to so many of us not just at S&W but across our industry, and he will be dearly missed.”