Who’s Presenting at the NSSF Marketing and Leadership Summit
We’re bringing experts, innovators and inspirational keynote speakers to the stage who will offer insights, discussion points and creative perspectives for you and your team to consider.
David Avrin
One of the most in-demand and charismatic Customer Experience speakers and consultants in the world today, David Avrin, CSP, GSF has shared his content-rich, very entertaining and actionable presentations with enthusiastic audiences and organizations across North America and in 28 countries around the world. David helps organizations better understand and serve their changing customers and clients to help future-proof their businesses by becoming ridiculously easy with which to do business.
Joe Bartozzi
Joe is the President and CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (“NSSF”) and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute (“SAAMI”). He is also the Chairman of the Project ChildSafe® Foundation. He has spent over 40 years in a variety of technical, legal, and executive management roles.
He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (“CAHSS”), the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (“CSF”), and the World Forum on Shooting Activities (“WFSA”).
Joe also serves on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Chapter of the American Red Cross and is a past Chairman of the Board of Goodwill Industries of Southern New England, where he is still serving as a member of the Goodwill Operations Committee.
Joe is a Certified Quality Engineer and a Certified Quality Auditor.
He graduated cum laude from the Quinnipiac University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in the state and federal courts of Connecticut, the state of Maine, and in the United States Supreme Court.
Joe is a 2014 recipient of the Anthony V. DeMayo Pro Bono Award, presented by the Connecticut Bar Association.
Dr. Emmy Betz
Dr. Emmy Betz, MD, MPH, is an emergency medicine doctor and nationally recognized leader in firearm suicide prevention. She is currently a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, where she is the Founding Director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative. She oversees a large research portfolio of complex, community-engaged, mixed-methods studies. She has been invited to work with numerous organizations spanning the civilian to veteran spectrum, including the Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Office and White House events or initiatives under the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations. In 2023 she was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
Bill Brassard Jr.
Bill is in his 27th year with NSSF, where he serves as Senior Communications Director and media spokesman on many issues, including shooting sports participation, firearm safety and suicide prevention.
Bill oversees NSSF’s firearm safety education programs, including Project ChildSafe, which has distributed 41 million firearm safety kits to gun owners through community partnerships. He is assistant treasurer of the Project ChildSafe Foundation. He oversees NSSF’s ground-breaking partnerships with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and with the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs. Bill serves on several state and organization advisory boards focused on reducing Veteran and non-Veteran suicide.
At the NSSF-owned Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT Show), Bill directs the show’s press operations, which services 2,400 accredited members of the media and has promoted increased visibility and coverage of suicide prevention at the show. He is a life member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America.
Bryan J. Burhans
Bryan Burhans is an executive and industry thought leader within the nonprofit and state government sectors, boasting an impressive 30-year career ranging from an instructor at the Pennsylvania State University, to the President and CEO of a nonprofit organization, to state agency executive director. He has been responsible for leading organizations with annual budgets from $2 million to $300 million.
Jacquelyn Clark
Jacquelyn Clark is the Founder and Co-Owner of Bristlecone Shooting, Training & Retail Center in Lakewood, Colorado. Bristlecone is owned and operated by Jacquelyn and her husband, Bryan Clark.
After moving to Colorado in 2013, they noticed that many private Denver-area ranges had prohibitively long waiting lists. That’s when Jacquelyn and Bryan decided to create their own ideal shooting environment.
Bristlecone opened in 2015 with a mission to provide customers with “an extraordinary recreational experience.” They have built one of the area’s most popular and successful retail and range businesses. Bristlecone was awarded NSSF’s highest rating of 5 Stars in 2017 and was voted Best Indoor Shooting Range in Denver by Westword in 2021.
Jacquelyn has been involved in injury and suicide prevention work since 2016. She has worked on several University of Colorado research initiatives surrounding The Gun Shop Project and lethal means safety. Additionally, in collaboration with the University of Colorado and the Department of Veterans Affairs, she successfully launched Vetstore at Bristlecone, a secure firearm storage initiative aimed at injury prevention in the veteran community. She is currently a Firearms Industry Liaison for the University of Colorado School of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Center. Her focus since 2023 has been on Pause to Protect, a project that takes the Vetstore concept and scales it nationally, serving both active-duty military service members and Veterans.
Waco Hoover
Waco Hoover is an investor and entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in media, tech, healthcare and venture capital. He is the founder of IMPCT Group, which helps brands drive growth through data-driven strategies and impact programs, and he chairs the American Legion’s Be the One platform, focused on brain health and preventing veteran suicide, He is also the founder of MCON, the fastest growing consumer event, celebrating military culture and has executive-produced over 50 films and projects focusing on military stories. Additionally, he serves as an advisor to Founders Factory, a venture capital firm solving the world’s biggest challenges.
He has advised global brands including MGM Resorts, Informa, Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, Vivendi and Las Vegas Sands Corp. During his career he has worked across numerous sectors including entertainment, sports, festivals, esports, health care, defense and tech. He was a co-founder and investor in businesses sold to Informa, EmeraldX, Endeavor Business Media and Onstream Media. As a founder and investor, he has had over 20 successful exits.
Waco is a Marine Corps veteran, graduated from New York University, cum laude, holds an MBA from The Florida State University and completed executive education programs at Harvard Business School. He lives in Southern California with his wife, son and two yellow labs, Tucker and Winnie. In his spare time, he enjoys surfing, diving and mountaineering as often as possible.
David Horsager
David Horsager is the CEO of Trust Edge Leadership Institute, inventor of the Enterprise Trust Index™, director of the global study, Trust Outlook®, and bestselling author of four books, including his latest, Trust Matter More than Ever: 40 Proven Trust Tools to Lead Better, Grow Faster & Build Trust Now! His work with a wide variety of industries continues to inspire his research, consulting, writing, and speaking. David was inducted into the National Speakers Association’s Hall of Fame in 2017. Combining humor, illustrations, and memorable stories with research and insight, David delivers relevant and inspiring keynotes and interviews. He has worked with organizations ranging from Delta Airlines, McDonald’s, FedEx, and Toyota to the New York Yankees, Walmart, Zoom, MIT, and global governments. Called by Forbes, "the world’s leading authority on trust,” David’s life mission is to develop trusted leaders and organizations.
Dan Kahn
Dan Kahn is a pioneering entrepreneur and marketing strategist acclaimed for his transformative impact on the automotive and powersports industries. As the founder and CEO of Kahn Media, he has built the agency into a leading force known for its innovative PR and marketing campaigns that elevate brands.
Dan’s career began in journalism, where he developed his storytelling skills before moving into public relations. His expertise in blending traditional PR with digital strategies has led Kahn Media to numerous accolades, including being named the No. 1 PR agency in the region by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal for six consecutive years (2018-2023). The agency has also been recognized as the Fastest Growing Agency by Inc. 5000 (2020, 2021, 2024) and AdWeek (2019), and featured on the Inc. Regionals Pacific List of Fastest-Growing Private Companies (2024).
Dan’s accomplishments include being honored as the SEMA Person of the Year (2019), receiving the Hermes Creative Award for Creative Media Outreach Campaigns, and winning the Gold Stevie Award for Communications or PR Campaign of the Year in 2023. Kahn Media’s external campaign for Ringbrothers was recognized by the Business Intelligence Group as External Campaign of the Year. Dan’s continued dedication to excellence and innovation solidifies his influential role in the marketing and PR fields.
Russell B. Lemle
Russell B. Lemle, PhD, is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Veterans Healthcare Policy Institute. His career exemplifies a deep commitment to improving the lives of veterans through evidence-based policy and dedicated advocacy. From 1981 to 2019, he worked for the San Francisco VA Health Care System, the last 25 years as Chief Psychologist. He’s authored numerous scientific publications and media commentaries in a diverse range of outlets, including in Guns & Ammo Annual, Guns & Ammo Carry, California Firing Line, Task & Purpose, The Hill, The American Prospect, Washington Monthly, Federal Practitioner and American Psychologist on the prevention of firearm suicide and the impact of the VA’s accelerated outsourcing of veterans’ health care into the private sector. Dr. Lemle has received numerous accolades for his contributions to veterans’ health care policy and firearm suicide prevention, including lifetime achievement awards from the American Psychological Association, the Association of VA Psychologist Leaders (AVAPL) and the Disabled American Veterans. In 2017, the AVAPL Russell B. Lemle Leadership Award was established in his honor for those who advance veterans’ mental health care. He was a member of the Trump Presidency PREVENTS task force and has testified to Congress on veterans’ mental health and suicide prevention policy.
Caleb Morse
Caleb Morse is an 11-year Army combat veteran with multiple deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. A Louisiana native, Caleb is the owner and operator of the Rustic Renegade, a firearms retail shop in Lafayette that also offers coffee, gifts, and a gathering place for Veterans and firearms enthusiasts. Caleb co-founded The Armory Project in 2020 and has provided temporary, voluntary firearm storage for dozens of people in need. He is a leader in promoting secure storage for firearm suicide prevention, speaking on the topic to Veterans Service Organizations, community groups, and law enforcement.
Sam Rad
Sam Rad combines the mindsets of an anthropologist and technologist, bringing her “radical next” perspectives on what’s in store for the future. With the charisma of a rockstar, curiosity of an anthropologist, creativity of an entrepreneur, and calm confidence of an ex-professional skydiver, Sam effortlessly guides organizations and individuals to thrive in times of radical and accelerating change. Through her signature candid and clever delivery, Sam distills complex topics while leading the audience on a compelling, informative, and approachable journey of educational storytelling.
Rob Southwick
Rob Southwick founded Southwick Associates in 1990 and for 33 years the firm has specialized in market and economic research within the hunting, shooting and sportfishing sectors. Southwick Associates provides comprehensive custom and syndicated insights regarding consumers and market trends to resource agencies, industry associations, sportsmen’s non-profit organizations, outdoor manufacturers, retailers, investment firms and more. Clients include NSSF, Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, nearly all state fish and wildlife agencies and a majority of the outdoor manufacturers in the U.S. hunting and fishing industry. Southwick also serves the American Sportfishing Association and NSSF, which recognized Southwick Associates as its top quantitative research vendor. Southwick Associates’ experience serving the outdoors community provides an unmatched level of knowledge and understanding of the traditional outdoor consumer.
Our Summit Emcee: Michael Villani
Michael Villani is an actor/voice over artist in Los Angeles and has been since graduating from the University of Missouri with a Broadcast Journalism degree in 1970. He co-starred with Robert Redford and Michelle Pfeiffer in Up Close and Personal, was featured in Volcano with Tommy Lee Jones and Wag the Dog with Robert DeNiro and Dustin Hoffman. He co-starred as Merv Griffin in the Milos Forman film, Man On The Moon, the Andy Kaufman story, starring Jim Carrey, as well as appearing in Jim’s blockbuster Bruce Almighty. He was also featured in The Girl Next Door and can be seen with Jamie Foxx and Beyoncé Knowles in Dreamgirls.
Mike’s television credits include co-starring roles in hits like Criminal Minds and CSI.
Mike was the announcer for the Hollywood Film Festival for 18 years, and was the Venue announcer for several venues at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, the Winter Olympics, in 2010, the Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. In May, 2016 he was in Orlando, Florida, announcing at the Invictus Games. He also worked the Wounded Warrior Games at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, where he announced the Opening and Closing Ceremony and the Sitting Volleyball competition. He’s the Voice of the Anaheim Police Department, where he’s been a Technical Reserve for the past 38 years. He was honored with the Reserve Officer of the Year Award for 2016. Mike is also the Master of Ceremonies for many charitable events and golf tournaments in and around Southern California.
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