ANJRPC CREATES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POSITION, ENTERS NEW ERA

By Kathy Chatterton, ANJRPC Regional VP & Membership Chair





            ANJRPC is pleased to announce that the Executive Board took the historic step of creating the position of ANJRPC Executive Director at its June 26th meeting, to ensure the ongoing professional management and leadership of the Association. The position carries with it the responsibility to manage the legal, legislative, political, and public affairs of ANJRPC.  26 Executive Board members were present for the meeting and there were no votes against the measure.



            The position was then offered to ANJRPC President Scott Bach, who had announced earlier that he had no choice but to step down from leadership of ANJRPC at the end of his term in October to return to his law practice full time.



            Bach, an attorney in his 40’s, has spent 70-90 hours a week for the last 6 years volunteering as ANJRPC president, and is largely credited with transforming the Association into a force to be reckoned with in the state capitol and the courts, and raising the Association’s profile in the media.  Bach accepted the offer and is to begin serving as Executive Director August 1.  He is also expected to remain President for one more year (overlapping his first year as Executive Director), in order to ready potential presidential successors and ensure a smooth leadership transition.  He will then continue on solely as Executive Director until the Executive Board revisits the issue in mid-2013.



            NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre extended congratulations on learning of the news, commenting "Whether he’s reinstating much-needed bear hunts or defeating senseless gun bans, every New Jersey gun owner benefits from Scott Bach’s dedication to freedom.  I’m excited to watch him expand upon these important victories as ANJRPC’s Executive Director.”



NRA-ILA Executive Director Chris Cox also weighed in, saying "This is an important step for ANJRPC.  Scott Bach has been a fierce advocate for New Jersey gun owners, with a significant record of achievement despite overwhelming odds. Having worked closely with Scott over the years, I have seen firsthand his commitment to gun owners not only in New Jersey - but across America. I continue to expect great things from Scott as ANJRPC's Executive Director.”



And NRA Past President Sandy Froman observed, "Scott Bach has put New Jersey gun owners on the map and given them a presence they’ve never had before.  Through sheer force of will, he has defeated gun bans in a State House controlled by anti-gunners, and used the courts to advance a pro-Second Amendment agenda.  He is uniquely suited to be ANJRPC’s Executive Director and I offer my congratulations and best wishes on this momentous occasion.”



            Elaborating on the decision to create the new position, ANJRPC Executive VP Matt Carmel said, "As a volunteer-based organization, ANJRPC has made tremendous strides in recent years through the extraordinary efforts and personal sacrifices of several of its leaders. But it has been long overdue for us as an organization to take the next necessary step in our evolution and engage professional leadership as our sister state associations in Massachusetts, California, Illinois, Texas and Virginia, and of course NRA, have done,” continued Carmel.  "Just as the NRA has its Executive Vice President in the person of Wayne LaPierre, ANJRPC now has its Executive Director in the person of Scott Bach.”



            ANJRPC Treasurer Anthony Colandro also commented, "ANJRPC has experienced a tremendous increase in new members over the past few years, and we have been able to amass a sizeable war chest.  With a solid financial picture and anticipated continued growth we are now in a position to retain highly qualified professionals to lead the organization.  Bach has been instrumental in securing our position of influence both locally and nationally, and we will benefit greatly by having his undivided efforts continue on our behalf.”  The Executive Director position is independently contracted and non-voting on the Executive Board.



Allan Johnson, ANJRPC past President and regional VP, commented, "We’ve been talking about creating this position for 20 years.  It’s about time!”