Today, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) announced its Board of Directors has elected Richard Childress Racing Chairman and CEO Richard Childress as Chairman; Pure Fishing CEO Harlan Kent as Vice-Chair; Bekun, LLC and Berverst, LLC Managing Director Francisco Bergaz as Secretary; and Rather Outdoors, LLC CEO Ken Eubanks as Treasurer. Additionally in 2023, the Board is welcoming new member Mark Smith, who has served as President and CEO of Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. since 2020. CSF’s President and CEO Jeff Crane will continue to serve as the Ex Officio Board Member.
The mission of the CSF Board of Directors is to work with the Foundation’s leadership and staff to protect and advance our outdoor heritage. Through constant support and engagement, members of the CSF Board lend their expertise to the Foundation in a diversity of experiential areas. As fellow sportsmen and women, members of the CSF Board of Directors share a passion for wildlife conservation and assume a leadership role in supporting the critical policy work which the Foundation executes at both the Federal and State levels.
In addition to the Executive Committee, CSF’s 2023 Board of Directors will consist of:
- Pete Angle, President, Covey Partners, LLC
- Joe Bartozzi, President and CEO, National Shooting Sports Foundation
- Tuck Beckstoffer, President, Tuck Beckstoffer Wines
- Mark Cherpes, President and CEO, FN America, LLC
- James Cummins, Executive Director, Wildlife Mississippi
- Tripper Dickson, President and CEO, Sports South, LLC
- Evan Hafer, Founder and CEO, Black Rifle Coffee Co.
- Becky Humphries, CEO, National Wild Turkey Federation
- Corey Mason, Executive Director, Dallas Safari Club
- Bruce Pettet, President and CEO, Leupold & Stevens, Inc.
- Tim Phillips, Owner and President, P&S Paving
- Adam Putnam, CEO, Ducks Unlimited
- Steve Skold, Past President, Safari Club International
- Mark Smith, President and CEO, Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc.
- Bob Ziehmer, Senior Director of Conservation, Bass Pro Shops
CSF’s 2023 Honorary Board of Directors will consist of:
- John Morris – Honorary Lifetime Director
- Robert Model – Honorary Director Emeritus
- Hon. Lindsay Thomas – Honorary Director Emeritus
- Ralph Castner, President, Rush Creek Advisors, LLC
- Bruce Culpepper
- Mark DeYoung
- Chris Dorsey, President and CEO, Dorsey Pictures
- Jason Hornady, Vice President, Hornady Manufacturing Co.
- Walter McLallen, Tomahawk Strategic Solutions
- Paul Miller, Chairman, Adams Arms, LLC
“As I’ve always maintained, CSF’s greatest asset is its people,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. “I’m excited to take on this opportunity to lead the Board of Directors because of CSF’s role as the leader in the outdoor policy arena. Their work is critical to America’s sportsmen and women as a whole and me personally, as an avid hunter, angler, and recreational shooter. We have a great group of men and women on the Board and I know that 2023 will be CSF’s most successful year yet.”
Board members who completed terms of service in 2022 were Simon Roosevelt, James Debney, Christopher Metz, and John Nau III. Additionally, Brad Franklin completed his term of service on the Honorary Board of Directors.
“As the President and CEO of CSF, I would like to personally thank Simon, James, Chris, John, and Brad for their service to our organization during their terms,” said Jeff Crane. “As we begin the 118th Congress and the opening of legislative sessions throughout the country, CSF will continue to advocate on behalf of America’s sportsmen and women, and the support of the Board of Directors is integral to that process. I am looking forward to the opportunity to work with our new Board Chairman Richard Childress, who has not only already been a Board officer for many years but has for decades been a pillar of leadership in the wildlife conservation arena.”
Founded in 1989, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is the informed authority across outdoor issues and serves as the primary conduit for influencing public policy. Working with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC), the Governors Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC), and the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses (NASC), CSF gives a voice to hunters, anglers, recreational shooters, and trappers on Capitol hill and throughout state capitols advocating on vital outdoor issues that are the backbone of our nation’s conservation legacy. For more information on CSF’s policy work, visit www.congressionalsportsmen.org.
