ASA MERCH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Sig Sauer - Vice President, Government Affairs
- Vice President, Government Affairs for SIG SAUER
Bobby works as Vice President, Government Affairs for SIG SAUER where he directs strategic advocacy issues for SIG SAUER and the firearms industry at the federal and state levels. Bobby is the face of SIG SAUER in Washington, DC and coordinates relationships with the U.S. Congress, the Pentagon, and the Executive Branch on behalf of SIG SAUER. Bobby considers it an honor to work for a company that supports the mission of the nation's warfighter and law enforcement agencies as well as the suppressor community.
Bobby Cox is a South Carolina native and a distinguished military graduate of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina. After the 9/11 terrorists' attacks, Bobby joined the U.S. military as an Army Ranger with combat tours in the Middle East. While deployed, Bobby conducted special operations raids as well as nation stability missions serving in such units as the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 82nd Airborne Division. Bobby's last assignment on active duty was as an Army Congressional Fellow in the U.S. Senate and as an Army Legislative Liaison. Bobby continues to serve in the U.S. Army Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel.
In addition to a BA from The Citadel, Bobby has a Master of Professional Studies in Legislative Affairs from The George Washington University and a Master of Business Administration from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's Kenan-Flagler Business School with a Distinction in Leadership. Bobby is also a State Legislator in the South Carolina House of Representatives.
He is married to Joscelyn Cox of Marietta, GA and they have two children along with a Boykin Spaniel puppy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Brand Manager at Gemtech
- Gemtech - Brand Manager
Chad Larsen is the brand manager at Gemtech, within Smith & Wesson, overseeing the entire Gemtech brand of suppressors and related products.
Job Titles:
- Yankee Hill Machine - Co - Owner
Christopher Graham grew up at the historic Yankee Hill Machine facility in Florence, Massachusetts, where he began working for his father, James J. Graham, at a very early age. Chris started by sweeping floors and packaging parts after school and on summer break. As he grew up, so too did his responsibilities. Before going to college, he graduated from his janitorial duties and began operating machines and engineering. At UMass Amherst he studied business administration at the Isenberg School of Management. Not feeling challenged enough, he transferred to the Western New England College Engineering program for mechanical engineering. Ultimately, he opted to return to work and continue to learn on the job from his father rather than pursue a college degree. In 2013, James handed the reins of YHM to Chris and his brother Kevin, who now own and operate the company. In 2017, the brothers moved YHM to their new 48,000 square foot state of the art facility in Easthampton, MA.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Member of the Board of Directors
- President
Job Titles:
- Founder and CEO of Silencer Shop
- Silencer Shop - Owner
Dave Matheny is the founder and CEO of Silencer Shop, the largest suppressor distributor in the country - with a focus on streamlining and simplifying the NFA application process. He has had a hand in the firearm industry not only as a business owner but also as a lobbyist and educator. Spending years educating and informing individuals on NFA ownership rights, he has worked diligently to serve as an active voice in the industry.
Dave currently resides in Austin, Texas with his wife, Halli. They have three children. Prior to founding Silencer Shop, he graduated with a BS in Computer Science in 1998 and served as a Software Engineer at various companies, including Intel, VMware, and Dell for 16 years before combining his programming expertise with his passion for firearms, to form Silencer Shop. He is a Life Member of the NRA and is involved with several additional industry groups.
Job Titles:
- Owner
- Ice Miller Strategies - CEO
Graham Hill is a life-long gun owner, hunter and shooting competitor. He was born and raised in the South Texas border country. His parents carried him along in diapers at 8 weeks old on his first "hunt" - he has never missed an opening day of deer season in Texas in his life.
More than five decades later he is a co-founder and CEO of Ice Miller Strategies LLC, and co-managing partner of Ice Miller LLP's Washington DC law office. As an attorney with 30 years' work experience with federal laws, legislation and regulations he brings valuable expertise to ASA's mission, state and federal lobby strategies, and corporate affairs. Graham has served in Congress as a Counsel for Oversight and Investigations, Legislative Director, Staff Director and Senior Committee Counsel. Graham's experience in the Courts, Congress, and Executive Branch at the federal and state government levels runs deep - though through it all he remains a small-town raised Texan.
Graham's fierce dedication to suppressors and defense of the Second Amendment is reflected in his service as a Member of the Board of Directors of the NRA, where he serves as the Chairman of the Federal Affairs Committee He also serves as a Trustee of the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund, where he works to advance federal and state litigation that protects our Second Amendment rights. As a member of the Department of Interior's Hunting and Shooting Sports Conservation Council, where he serves as Vice Chairman of the Shooting Committee, he works to expand hunting and shooting across all federal lands in the Nation.
Graham competes in 3-gun, sporting clays, skeet, and IDPA, all as a disable competitor. Graham was nominated by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the National Council for Disability. He served on the NCD for 8 years. He continues his commitment to helping other disabled shooters and hunters in his service as Chairman of the NRA's Disabled Shooting Committee and as a Trustee of Camp Freedom, an 1800-acre hunting and shooting preserve in Pennsylvania that serves disabled veterans and first responders and their families.
Jessica Cummings is an accomplished leader in marketing, public affairs, and warranty service who has successfully navigated high-profile and complicated programs, initiatives, and projects for the companies she's represented.
Throughout her 20+ year tenure in the firearms industry, Jessica has demonstrated excellence in the creation and execution of strategic media events, ad campaigns, and marketing/brand initiatives for more than a dozen consumer brands.
Jessica is responsible for the development and execution of cohesive communications strategies in an effort to drive membership and organizational awareness.
Prior to her work at ASA, Jessica was the Vice President of Marketing, Customer Service & Warranty for SilencerCo. Prior to this, she was the head of public relations and global communications for the Remington Outdoor Company.
When Jessica is not managing company communications or running an event, she can be found spending time with her family … at the range, on a hunt, at the beach, or looking for a new adventure.
Job Titles:
- NASGW - President
- President and Secretary of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers
Kenyon Gleason is the president and secretary of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa. He joined NASGW in January of 2015.
NASGW is a trade association comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, independent sales reps, media and service providers - both national and international - primarily focused on shooting sports equipment and accessories. Gleason leads the team at NASGW in accomplishing their mission of bringing shooting sports buyers and sellers together and hosting the industry's annual NASGW Expo and Annual Meeting, a trade show exclusively for two-step wholesale distributors and their manufacturer partners.
He serves on the board of directors for the American Suppressor Association (ASA), an advocacy and lobbying organization for the suppressor market. He is also the past chair of the Association Executive Council (AEC) and member of the board of directors for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he serves on the board of trustees for Walk The Talk America (WTTA), an organization bringing awareness to mental health and firearms issues.
Prior to taking over at NASGW, he was the vice president of development and field operations for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association in Washington, D.C., focused on U.S. transportation related issues, legislation and advocacy.
Gleason has also been an active participant in the political arena, serving as a campaign advisor and coalition director for U.S. House and Senate races. He was himself elected to an at-large seat on the Sioux Falls (S.D.) City Council from 2000-2004.
He is an award-winning journalist and has worked in television, radio and print newsrooms across the upper Midwest. Gleason has 30 years of media, communications, marketing, public and government relations, and political experience in a variety of industries including healthcare, education, transportation, agriculture and the shooting sports.
A North Dakota native, he is a graduate of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota with a degree in communications. He's the owner and founder of Connect Consulting, LLC, a business and association management service provider. He and his wife live in Topeka, Kansas and are the proud parents of five grown sons.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- President
Knox Williams is a passionate believer that every law-abiding citizen should be able to buy and use suppressors to help protect their hearing. In 2011, he helped form the American Suppressor Association. At the time, hunting with a suppressor was not legal in Georgia, Knox's home state. When he began developing a plan to change the law, he realized two things: 1) no other organizations were working on pro-suppressor reform, and 2) he would be far more effective if he created a coalition. Thus, ASA was born.
Over the past 12 years, Knox has become the country's leading subject matter expert on suppressors. Through his work at ASA, he has helped 3 states legalize suppressor ownership and 19 states legalize their use in the field - including the Peach State in 2014.
In his spare time, Knox enjoys hunting (suppressed), shooting (suppressed), traveling, cooking, and all things Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Braves, and UGA football.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Daniel Defense - President and CEO
- President and CEO of Daniel Defense
Marty graduated from Pinewood Christian Academy in Bellville, GA., in 1980. Inventor and lifetime entrepreneur, Mr. Daniel received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from Georgia Southern University in 1985.
In 1985, he began his career in the residential window business which he sold two years later when he entered the overhead door and fireplace business. After 24 years, Marty sold Daniel Overhead Door and Fireplace in 2009 so that he and his wife, Cindy, could focus on Daniel Defense.
At the turn of the 21st century, firearms enthusiast and lifelong shooter, Marty Daniel, had multiple concepts and designs he thought would greatly improve his M16 rifle. Unable to find these parts in the commercial market, he designed and created, big hole uppers, sling loops and rails in small batches and soon found the demand for these types of products was much greater than he could have ever imagined. Thus, Daniel Defense was born.
The newly founded company soon witnessed substantial growth. As forecasted demand justified a larger facility, Marty designed and built a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant located in Black Creek, Georgia in 2009. Daniel Defense quickly outgrew this facility, resulting in an expansion in Ridgeland, South Carolina. Today, Marty is now consolidating the Black Creek facility and Ridgeland, S.C., facility into a single operation.
Daniel Defense was recognized by INC. 500|5000 Magazine in 2012, 2013 and 2014 as one of the fastest growing private companies in America, averaging an annual growth of over one hundred percent. Daniel Defense is committed to always doing the right thing, and providing you with Small Arms Solutions™ that are Lighter, Stronger, Better…®
Marty serves on the Georgia Southern University Foundation Board of Directors and the Georgia Southern University Corporate Advisory Board to the Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Information Technology. He is an active member of the First Presbyterian Church of Pooler.
Marty and his wife, Cindy, have a daughter, Harlee, and a son, Connor, live in Pooler, GA.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of Daniel Defense
Marvin C. Daniel (Marty) is President and CEO of Daniel Defense. He provides strategic leadership for the company by working with the Team Leaders to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans and policies. He works closely with our Product Development team in the design of new products, and has led the effort to create a state-of-the-art manufacturing company.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Rugged Suppressors - CEO
The American Suppressor Association is pleased to announce that Michael Williams has returned to ASA as General Counsel, after serving four years in senior positions in the Trump Administration. Michael first joined ASA in 2014, and served as ASA's General Counsel from 2015 to 2016, before leaving to join the Administration in 2017.
"We are absolutely thrilled to have Michael back on the team at ASA," said Knox Williams, President and Executive Director of ASA. "Over the years, he has proven himself as one of the great minds in Second Amendment advocacy, effectively championing firearm and suppressor rights at the State and Federal levels. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table that is second to none, which is why we are proud to have him join us as our General Counsel."
Michael began his federal service at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), where he served two years as an attorney in the Office of General Counsel and focused on federal budget and regulatory matters. He then transitioned to the West Wing in March of 2019, where he served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Counselor to White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney. During his time in the West Wing, Michael advised the Chief of Staff and the President on numerous matters, and served as the top White House policy advisor on Second Amendment issues. Michael left the West Wing in July of 2020 to serve as Acting General Counsel at the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), where he managed a budget of over $100 million and supervised a staff of nearly 300 attorneys and 250 other professionals.
"I am beyond excited to get back to my roots at ASA and continue advocating for suppressor and firearm rights," said Michael Williams. "The ASA team is incredible, and I'm looking forward to being a part of it again. We've got great things in store for 2021."[divider line_type="No Line"]
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- American Suppressor Association in 2016 As the Director
Owen Miller joined the American Suppressor Association in 2016 as the Director of Outreach and was promoted to Vice President in 2022. A chance exposure to suppressors at a local indoor range sparked his interest in the hearing protection devices in 2000 while working for one of the largest dot-coms in the Seattle area. He grew up shooting regularly, participating in NRA youth shooting events, but never shot with suppressors as a child. At the time, Washington was the only state that allowed ownership but not use of suppressors due to conflicting sections of state law. Although the law did not change until 2011, he purchased his first suppressor in 2000. For the next six years, every time he wanted to use his suppressor he drove to Oregon.
Owen left the technology field and moved to Boise, ID in 2006 to join Gemtech Suppressors - a founding member of ASA. He served in various roles supporting Customer Service, Sales, Accounting and Compliance for nearly 11 years. While at Gemtech, he worked alongside ASA on advocacy, supporting legislative demonstrations and direct lobbying efforts in several states and Washington, D.C.
Owen is passionate about suppressor advocacy for both personal and professional reasons. His father-in-law, a career police officer, retired on disability due to hearing loss from years of firearms training and qualifications. During his tenure at Gemtech, Owen was able to sell suppressors to his father-in-law's department, helping address their concerns about the risk of hearing damage for their officers.
Owen lives in Boise with his wife and two children. He has been a volunteer with mountain rescue teams for nearly 30 years, first in Washington state, and now Idaho as a Rescue Specialist, conducting high-angle rescues in the remote wilderness of Idaho and he served as an EMT for nine years. He is also a licensed private pilot. He enjoys shooting, hunting, flying, hiking, rock climbing, ice climbing, and other outdoor pursuits. Owen holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Boise State University.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of the Regulatory Advisory Services Practice With Orchid Advisors
- Orchid Advisors - Executive Director, Manufacturing Practice
Philip Milks is the Executive Director of the Regulatory Advisory Services practice with Orchid Advisors, delivering advisory and technical implementation services to members of the firearms industry. Phil entered the firearms industry working for the National Shooting Sports Foundation while pursuing his law degree. Upon completion of his legal studies he went to work for Remington Outdoor Company (ROC) in the midst of its period of rapid expansion. While at Remington, Phil served the executive team as the leader of ROCs corporate compliance function which included ATF, Import, and Export (ITAR and EAR). Phil played a key role in advising ROC to facilitate the acquisition of manufacturing entities, the move of major manufacturing facilities to the southern United States and implementing SAP as a leading ERP system. Phil also operates FFL Law, a law firm devoted solely to serving firearms industry members in need of legal services.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Capitol Armory - Director of New Business Development
- Director of New Business Development at Capitol Armory
Randall Durham is the Director of New Business Development at Capitol Armory, the nation's largest silencer dealer. He is responsible for their vast expansion into 37 other states offering a "delivered to your door" silencer purchasing experience.
Since starting at counter sales in 2008 for a local firearms retail and shooting range, his love for the industry has continued to grow. In 2009 he facilitated the start and growth of the nation's oldest and longest-running silencer distributor from 2009 until 2021. Because of this, he enjoys staying in tune with the current and past dynamics of the silencer industry, from the political to the sales markets.
Randall is a retired Lieutenant from the fire service after serving for 25 years. He lives in South Carolina with his wife, Grace and two children.
Job Titles:
- Compliance Manager at Lipsey
- Lipsey 's - Compliance Manager
Scott Duet is the Compliance Manager at Lipsey's with eighteen years of industry experience. His role, spanning the past eight years with Lipsey's, is to ensure operations and procedures are in compliance with all applicable rules and regulations. In addition, Scott also oversees general inventory control, customer service, technical advice on firearms and accessories compatibility, and internal security.
Before coming to Lipsey's, Scott was part of the management team at Jim's Firearms in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, for ten years as well as serving as a full-time gunsmith. Scott has also been a firearms instructor since 2007. With experience in several facets of the firearms world, Scott's primary expertise is now concentrated in the area of NFA compliance. Scott's previous experience on the retail level has been invaluable in both understanding the operations of Lipsey's customers as well as the technical knowledge of firearms and their accessories.
On a personal level, firearms have always been more than a career for Scott. They are a passion and a hobby. He has been a gun collector for twenty years, with a particular interest in World War II era firearms along with U.S. Military firearms of any period. Scott has won multiple company awards including Lipsey's highest honors of the "Above and Beyond" and "Service with a Smile" awards which were well deserved based on Scott's helpful nature and positive energy.
Job Titles:
- Sig Sauer - Vice President, Government Affairs
Job Titles:
- General Manager of the Smith & Wesson Performance Center
- Smith & Wesson - Director, S & W Performance Center
Tony Miele is the general manager of the Smith & Wesson Performance Center and Gemtech suppressors. His entire career has been with Smith & Wesson, where he has held many positions over his 44 years of service. Tony loves the outdoors and enjoys hunting, fishing and shooting sports.