Richard Pearson received a B.S. in Education in 1966 and an M.S. in Education in 1973 from Illinois State University. He worked as a social studies and geography teacher in various middle and high schools around Illinois from 1966 until 2001. From 1994 until 2004, Pearson has held various positions within the Illinois State Rifle Association, including membership chairman, lobbyist, president and executive director. From 1988 until 1997, Pearson acted as a rifle instructor at the NRA Training Counselors program. He is also a member of the NRA Nominating Committee.

Johnny Nugent has served in the Indiana State Senate since 1978 and is a former Republican Majority Floor Leader. Nugent authored a bill that prohibits municipalities in Indiana from preempting state firearm laws that was enacted into law during the 2011 legislative session. In 2009, Nugent introduced a bill that would have prohibited Indiana public colleges and universities from banning firearms from campus. Nugent has also expressed disappointment over a policy that prohibits visitors to the Indiana Statehouse from carrying concealed firearms. Legislators are exempt from the policy, however, and Nugent has revealed that he carries guns into the statehouse. The NRA Political Victory Fund endorsed his candidacy for the Indiana Senate in 2010 and gave him an “A+” rating. Outside of his role in the legislature, Nugent works as a tractor salesman.

Marion Hammer began handling firearms as a toddler. As she recalls it: “I grew up with guns … I went to live on a farm. I was five years old. My granddaddy would go off rabbit hunting and squirrel hunting couple or three times a week. It’s just what we did. And we ate rabbits and squirrels. And I wanted to go. And I begged him to let me go … And before I was six years old, I was shooting rabbits and squirrels. It’s a way of life.” She won dozens of shooting tournaments before becoming a gun rights activist after the passage of the 1968 Gun Control Act. Hammer founded Unified Sportsmen of Florida (USF)—a state affiliate of the National Rifle Association—in 1975 and became the full-time lobbyist for USF and the NRA in Florida in 1978. She explains that she founded USF “because Florida was seeing what I would call a burst of gun control measures being filed by northerners who had moved to South Florida and had brought the stuff that they had moved away from with them.” Hammer was elected to the NRA Board in 1982. From 1995 to 1998, she served as the organization’s first female president. In 2005, Hammer was inducted into the Florida Women’s Hall of Fame after being selected by Republican Governor Jeb Bush. During more than 35 years working for the NRA in the Florida state legislature, she has lobbied for bills to: a) Create a “Shall Issue” concealed carry permitting system; b) Liberalize the law concerning the use of lethal force in public by gun carriers; c) Force colleges and universities to allow guns on their campuses; d) Prevent local governments from regulating firearms on their own, and; e) Prohibit doctors, including pediatricians, from asking patients questions about firearms. Hammer has acknowledged that she carried a loaded handgun in her purse prior to the enactment of Florida’s concealed carry law in 1987, and has stated, “I’m 4-foot-11. I’m 67 years old. If you came at me, and I felt that my life was in danger or that I was going to be injured, I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot you.” In 2010, Hammer received $190,000 in compensation from the NRA for consulting work, in addition to the $110,000 per year salary she receives from Unified Sportsmen of Florida.

Clel Baudler served as an Iowa state trooper for 32 years before retiring to focus on farming. He was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 1998 and currently serves as the Ranking Member of the House Public Safety Committee.

Aging hard rocker Ted Nugent, born in Detroit, Michigan in 1948, is best known for his 1977 hit “Cat Scratch Fever.” Having toured since 1967, the “Motor City Madman” has produced over 30 albums.

Nugent is also well known for being a loud and aggressive supporter of gun rights in the United States. Serving on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association since 1995, Nugent was second only to Oliver North in votes received in the 2010 NRA board elections. In 2008, Nugent was the recipient of $40,000 in fees from the National Rifle Association.

An avid supporter of hunting who frequently clashes with animal rights groups, “Uncle Ted” hunts game on his ranches in Texas and Michigan. Nugent has been outspoken on other political issues and has been a vocal opponent of entitlement programs and universal health care. He continues to maintain a rigorous touring schedule and is not shy about sharing his political beliefs on stage.

James Gilmore, who holds a law degree from the University of Virginia, was first elected to office in 1993 as Virginia’s Attorney General. After serving four years in that position, Gilmore was elected as Virginia’s governor in 1998. During his last two years as governor, Gilmore also served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee. He was an unsuccessful candidate in both the 2008 presidential election and Virginia Senate election.

Ronnie Barrett designed the first .50 caliber sniper rifle after observing a Browning machine gun mounted on a boat. This high-powered sniper rifle—available for sale on the civilian market—has an effective range of over a mile and can pierce armor. John C. Killorin, a former special agent in charge of the Atlanta field division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), called Barrett’s rifle “a devastatingly powerful weapon against which most troops, most law enforcement, no civilians, have any means of defense.” Barrett, on the other hand, has described his invention as “a toy for a big boy.” In 2004, then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA) banned civilian ownership of the rifle. In 2005, U.S. Representative Jim Moran (D-VA) and 28 cosponsors introduced legislation that would have placed stricter regulations on .50 caliber sniper rifles by placing them in the same federal regulatory class as machine guns. The 50 Caliber Sniper Rifle Reduction Act found that “the intended use of these long-range firearms…is the taking of human life and the destruction of materiel, including armored vehicles and such components of the national critical infrastructure as radars and microwave transmission devices, in addition 50 caliber sniper weapons pose a significant threat to civil aviation in that they are capable of destroying or disabling jet aircraft … The virtually unrestricted availability of these firearms and ammunition, given the uses intended in their design and manufacture, present a serious and substantial threat to the national security.” The Branch Davidians used the Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle during the 1993 Waco siege, forcing the FBI to use armored Bradley fighting vehicles before upgrading to even heavier armor. Smalls arms proliferation has led to the acquisition of these rifles by other terrorist organizations and extremist groups. Essam al-Ridi, a government witness during the trial of terrorists involved in the 1998 bombing of United States embassies in Africa, testified that he sold Osama Bin Laden’s Al Qaeda terrorist organization 25 Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifles in 1988 or 1989. Barrett’s rifle was also used by IRA snipers to kill British police officers and Irish constables during “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland. Barrett raises funds for the NRA Foundation by offering tours of the Barrett factory in exchange for a $1,000 donation.

Oliver North grew up in Philmont, New York and attended college at the State University of New York at Brockport for two years before enlisting in the United States Marine Corps. After seeing combat in Vietnam, North fulfilled a number of military assignments before joining the National Security Council (NSC) in 1981. North remained with the NSC until he was fired in 1986 when his role in the Iran-Contra Affair was revealed. In 1994 North served as the Republican candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Virginia, losing to Democrat Charles Robb. Shortly before the election, former First Lady Nancy Reagan said North “lied to my husband and lied about my husband.” Since leaving politics, North has authored books and made television appearances to discuss military and political matters. In the 2010 NRA Board of Directors elections, North received more votes than any other candidate.

Bob Barr was born in Iowa City, Iowa in 1948, but spent his childhood living in a number of countries around the world. He initially joined the College Democrats while a student at the University of Southern California, but was persuaded by his parents to join the Republican Party. Barr attended graduate and law school in Washington D.C. and worked as a CIA analyst before becoming active in Republican politics. In 1986, Barr was appointed U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia by President Ronald Reagan. Barr was first elected to office in 1994 as a Congressman for Georgia’s 7th district. Barr left the House after succumbing to a primary challenger, John Linder, in 2002. While known as a Social Conservative in Congress, Barr joined the Libertarian Party in 2006 and ran for president on the party’s ticket in 2008.

Sandy Froman became a pro-gun activist following an incident in which a burglar unsuccessfully attempted to break into her home. In 2005, Froman was elected NRA President after serving as a Board Member and Vice President for a number of years. She stated that her two goals as NRA president were to promote concealed carry of firearms in public and “to work to get good judges appointed.” Froman was also appointed a member of the Sturm, Ruger & Company, Inc. board of directors in December 2015.