Bill Bachenberg Elected NRA President, Doug Hamlin Unanimously Reelected as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO

by
posted on April 28, 2025
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Nra Logo Blue

Today, the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association of America (NRA), elected Bill Bachenberg of Pennsylvania as President of the NRA and Doug Hamlin as NRA Executive Vice President & CEO. The meeting of the Board of Directors followed the 154th NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits where over 70,000 NRA members, their families, and supporters of the Second Amendment gathered at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia to check out the latest guns, gear, and accessories from over 600 exhibitors.

“I am deeply honored to be entrusted by my colleagues on the Board to serve as President of the NRA,” said Bill Bachenberg, NRA President. “We are at a pivotal point in our Association’s history as we work to reach out to new members, build upon the trust of existing members, and provide the gold-standard programs that American gun owners expect. As the Nation’s oldest civil rights organization, the NRA plays a critical role in protecting and advancing freedom in America.”

The NRA Board of Directors also elected Mark Vaughan of Oklahoma as NRA First Vice President and Rocky Marshall of Texas as NRA Second Vice President.

“As we conclude a very successful NRA Annual Meeting in Atlanta, I know one thing for sure: NRA’s best days are ahead of us,” said Doug Hamlin, NRA Executive Vice President & CEO. “This Association is moving forward, full speed ahead, to support the shooting sports, train new gun owners, and defend the sacred right to self-defense. I thank the dedicated staff of the NRA who work day and night on behalf of NRA’s millions of members and America’s more than 100 million firearms owners.”

Following Mr. Hamlin’s reelection, he reappointed John Commerford as the Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) and Josh Savani as the Executive Director of NRA General Operations.

The Board of Directors also reelected Sonya B. Rowling as NRA Treasurer, Robert Mensinger as NRA Chief Compliance Officer, and John C. Frazer as NRA Secretary.

The 2026 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits will take place in Houston, Texas, from April 17-19, 2026.

Latest

Amrifl
Amrifl

The Fight for America’s Rifle

Despite the warning we’ll sue to protect commonly owned AR-type rifles, Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed Senate Bill 749, which will make it illegal to sell, purchase, import, manufacture or transfer such firearms starting on July 1. 

Gun of the Week: Henry Repeating Arms SPD Predator

The new SPD Predator, an extension of Henry's magazine-fed Lever Action Supreme Rifle design, looks to extract the greatest possible degree of accuracy and precision from a modern lever gun.

The Armed Citizen® May 15, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

The Politically Incorrect Truth About the Armed Citizen

The Second Amendment doesn’t—and should not be treated as if—it ends at state lines. American citizens need the national reciprocity legislation that is now active in Congress.

Reaching for 1,000: A Study in Long Range Marksmanship

Calculating all the factors that go into a well-placed shot at distance can be a daunting task for those new to long-distance marksmanship, but when it all comes together, the result is gratifying.

ATF Proposes Changes to Form 4473

The ATF proposed a series of changes to form 4473 in May. If approved, the modifications would shave three pages from the paperwork and eliminate a lot of the previous form’s confusing redundancy­, trimming questions for both the purchaser/transferee and FFL.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.