May 20, 2024 was a historic day for the National Rifle Association and our Members: It was the day that Doug Hamlin was elected by the NRA Board of Directors as NRA's new Chief Executive Officer and Executive Vice President. His story may be new to many NRA Members, but here in NRA Publications, Mr. Hamlin has long been revered for his commitment to good governance, his dedication to the Second Amendment and his unwavering resolve to deliver the very best the NRA has to offer to our Members.
In fact, one of the only things he hasn't been known by is his last name—those of us whom he's led to success for the last 10 years simply call him "Doug," at his own insistence.
Our new CEO and EVP came to lead the NRA after a lifetime of hard work, honor and service, but don't expect this humble, down-to-earth leader to tell you so himself. "I'm a Midwesterner at heart. I'm from the great state of Michigan," he said. "At a young age, I had high hopes to be a U.S. Marine, and I was fortunate to get that opportunity. I served on active duty for six years as an infantry officer, and I also was on recruiting duty."
Of course, there's no such thing as a "retired" Marine, but once Hamlin's active duty had come to a close, he chose to serve America in a new way: Championing the American tradition of firearms ownership and gun safety for Petersen Publishing Company, which houses such titles as Guns & Ammo and MotorTrend. It was only natural that his star would one day rise over the National Rifle Association.
Hamlin's star shines not for self-glorification, but only as a navigation point, like the North Star. The destination: home. "We want you to go to NRA.org, join, get your friends to renew their memberships, donate to our organization, learn about the programs that are available, and support the organization," said Hamlin.
"We need you to come home. We need you now more than ever before."
