The only thing that is consistent, it seems, is change. It’s always inevitable, but sometimes surprising. That’s why I confess being totally stunned at a pair of releases that we received today.

Steve Sanetti

First, the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Board of Governors announced that Steve Sanetti, 28 year veteran of Sturm Ruger and Company, had been named to the President and Chief Executive officer position of NSSF.

After 28 years, Sanetti leaves Ruger and his position of president and general counsel to accept the position formerly held by Doug Painter at NSSF. Last month, Painter requested and was granted a position shift at NSSF, becoming senior adviser and trade liaison.

Painter is pleased with the selection. "Steve has a tremendous knowledge of our industry and a real passion for our sports,” he says, “He is a true believer in our cause."

Sanetti ‘s qualifications aren’t debatable. He’s spent 28 years with Sturm, Ruger and Company as an executive and general counsel, and been a member of the NSSF Board of Governors and the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute (SAAMI) Board of Directors. Additionally, he’s an able communicator, executive and man who seems more than qualified to speak into an industry he’s helped influence during his tenure at Ruger.

"Steve is one of the most well-respected individuals in our industry," said Robert Scott, chairman of the NSSF Board of Governors. "His experience and good judgment have been valued at Sturm, Ruger for decades and by the industry at large for his role in helping defeat the municipal lawsuits filed against our industry."

Sanetti said he was thrilled to be taking the helm of the 47-year-old trade association. "Although I've been in this industry for 30 years and associated with the NSSF Board of Governors for 15 of those years, the challenges we all face will be new and constantly changing. The only way we will survive and prosper is to be flexible in our thinking and creative in our problem solving. New situations demand novel approaches, and I am confident that with the skilled staff and thousands of loyal members of NSSF we will continue to help increase participation in and understanding of the shooting sports we are so passionate about.

"I am excited to begin this new phase of my career at a place where I can have a positive and lasting impact on the future of hunting and shooting," he added.

Sanetti was hired by Bill Ruger in 1980 to be the company's first general counsel and rose up through the executive ranks to become, in 2003, president, vice chairman of the board and chief operating officer, the position he currently holds. A founding member of the Firearms Litigation Support Committee, Sanetti helped direct the successful coordinated response to municipal lawsuits that threatened the firearms industry in the late 1990s.

In addition to his legal and executive experience, Sanetti brings strong communications skills to the position, having written numerous articles and given many interviews defending the lawful and responsible ownership and use of firearms. He has spoken on 60 Minutes, ABC News Nightline, CNBC, National Public Radio and before various federal and state legislative bodies.

"I am delighted that the NSSF Board has chosen Steve Sanetti to be its next CEO," said Ruger CEO Michael Fifer. "His knowledge of the industry and the issues confronting it, together with his vast product acumen make him a natural for this important and publicly visible position. I look forward to continued close ties between Ruger and the NSSF with Steve Sanetti as its CEO, as we all strive to preserve our heritage of hunting, shooting, and responsible firearms use. While Steve's vast industry experience and passion for firearms will be missed by Ruger, we will share in the industry's good fortune of having Steve lead the NSSF," Fifer concluded.

Sanetti is an avid hunter, target shooter, firearms collector and amateur gunsmith who was a three-year member of his college rifle team and later the team's coach. He was the enthusiastic captain of many victorious Ruger shooting teams at industry competitions and says his favorite hobby is to spend a day target shooting with his family.

A 1971 Distinguished Military Graduate (with honors) of the Virginia Military Institute, Sanetti earned his law degree from Washington & Lee University Law School. He served as a captain in the U.S. Army from 1975-1978 and was chief of criminal law for the First Cavalry Division at Ft. Hood, Texas.

The second bit of news was actually a bombshell to staff and members of the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Rob Keck

The Southern Sporting Journal scooped the planet, reporting that after 27 years, NWTF CEO Rob Keck was calling it quits.

His decision to move on, according to SSJ, was based on health and family reasons. “I was at a point in my life when it was time to make a change,” Keck’s quoted as saying.

His timing comes right on the heels of the NWTF board’s dismissal of Chief Operating Officer Carl Brown and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Dick Rosenlieb.

Keck has been at the NWTF most of his professional career. A former high school art teacher, he moved from volunteer with the NWTF to an employee and eventually CEO, a position he’s held for twenty seven years.

While Keck’s been regarded as a driving force in moving NWTF from a small organization to a focused (some would say relentless) advocate for the wild turkey, his style has frequently rankled others. But the results have seen the NWTF grow to more than a half-million members and a position of influence across the industry.

Keck, 57, says he’s looking for a position that would allow him to have a broader impact in the industry, although he’s quoted by the Southern Sporting Journal as having no desire to head up another organization.

Details are sketchy, but it’s safe to say that a pair of industry organizations with terrific reach, impact and resources have certainly shaken up the status quo.

Watch this space. We’ll keep you posted.