COLO SPRGS, CO (Nov 15, 2023) – USA Shooting is pleased to announce that five new members have been elected to the Board of Directors on Nov. 2, 2023. Following an exhaustive search and vetting process in response to US Olympic and Paralympic Committee reform mandates, USA Shooting has added five highly accomplished and qualified professionals to fill four Independent seats and one Club / Certified Training Center representative seat. Additionally, two of the new Directors were elected to serve as key Officers for the Board of Directors.
Chairman of the Board Jim Mitchell states, “We are extremely fortunate to have a diverse group of highly accomplished professionals from the shooting sports world, U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement, as well as business, federal government service, and non-profit philanthropic fields. I’m personally honored to be able to work with dedicated individuals who are passionately committed to the success of our athletes and teams at USA Shooting.”
The new board members include:
- Jacqueline McCook: Vice Chair and Independent Board Member, term ends Dec. 31, 2026. Ms. McCook has over 30 years of strategy, marketing, and leadership experience, primarily in consumer-facing and innovation-driven, growth and turnaround companies. Jacqueline is recognized as a results-oriented, creative thinker and problem solver. She can make sense out of complex issues, and drive ideas from strategy to results at the operating level. Jacqueline most recently served as an Independent Director and Chair for the Board of USA Triathlon, the National Governing Body for the sport of Triathlon and Paratriathlon. She was also Chair of the Board of Trustees for the USA Triathlon Foundation and continues to serve as a Trustee. Jacqueline received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Economics from Stanford University, and was awarded her Masters in Business Administration with honors from Harvard Business School.
- Tim Rupli: Treasurer and Independent Board Member, term ends Dec. 31, 2024. Rupli is CEO of TR Rupli & Associates, Inc. He is a contributor to The Washington Times Sports Department’s Outdoor column, and supporter of outdoor and shooting sports, including the Rupli Shotgun Team Scholarship and the Rupli Family Shooting Pavilion at Hillsdale College. Tim is a National Rifle Association Life Member. He shoots at the Campfire Club of America, Philadelphia Gun Club, and Sociedad de Tiro de Madrid (Somontes). He was recently appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin to a third term on the Chesapeake Bay Committee, representing the Commonwealth of Virginia. He is a recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Award and has a thirty-year record of service on public and private boards and commissions.
- Ward “Trig” French: Independent Board Member, term ends Dec. 31, 2024. French is a construction professional, he devotes much of his spare time to his passions including being a lifelong shooting sports enthusiast, an avid hunter, and conservation leader. He currently serves as Chair for the NRAs Hunters Leadership Forum and Wildlife and Conservation Committee. He’s been a leader in prominent hunting and conservation organizations, as well as United States Department of Interior and Agriculture advisory councils and committees where he focused on range development, migration corridors, and access to public lands that resulted in recommendations to Congress.
- Sara Walker: Independent Board Member, term ends Dec. 31, 2026. Walker has served in leadership and executive roles for multiple non-profit, fundraising and event planning organizations in the United States. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of San Antonio Zoological Society. Her experience includes serving on the Executive Committee of the Cancer Center Council and the Texas Biomedical Forum. Ms. Walker has also served on numerous boards including, The National Collegiate Equestrian Association, San Antonio Livestock Exposition, USupplies, Saint David’s Episcopal School, Hemisfair Conservancy, and the Landa Conservancy. She is the owner and operator of one of the premier event planning agencies in San Antonio, Texas, Sara Walker Private Events (SWE). Through SWE, she has raised over $7MM for Non-Profit organizations nationally. In addition, Sara is also the Development Director for the Ivan Carter Wildlife Conservation Alliance, which has an annual budget of just over $2MM.
- Jack Burch: Club and Certified Training Center Representative, term ends Dec. 31, 2026. A native of Great Fall, MT and US Army veteran and helicopter pilot, Mr. Burch is presently the CEO of Hill Country Shooting Sports Center in Kerrville, Texas. In addition to being the Manager of the Ponda Rosa Ranch, Mr. Burch is a former Justice of the Peace in Kerr County, Texas. He is a highly accomplished firearms, shotgun, and sporting clays instructor. Notably, he’s active and current within the International Shooting Sports Federation Shotgun Committee as well as a certified shotgun referee and judge.
“This extraordinary opportunity to update the USA Shooting leadership is going to serve our athletes, teams, staff, and supporters well over the next two Olympic quads,” said Mitchell. “I am personally thankful for the dedication and passion from the previous board that led to such a successful outing at the Tokyo Olympics, and I’m confident that this new group of selfless, highly qualified professionals will significantly contribute to leading and resourcing USA Shooting to new heights of excellence on the international shooting sports scene. I am greatly appreciative of these leaders taking up this noble calling and challenge to help Team USA achieve even more greatness.”
The USA Shooting Board of Directors is made of up twelve total individuals, to include the persons above, and is divided into two divisions.
Division One consists of the following:
- Two directors: one representing the USOPC Athletes’ Advisory Council and one representing the discipline of pistol and para, if the USOPC representative is not a pistol or para athlete
- One director representing a coach or official
- One director representing the advisory council or USA Shooting Team Foundation
- Two independent directors
Division Two consists of the following:
- Two directors: one representing the Team USA Athletes’ Commission and one representing the discipline of shotgun or rifle, if the Team USA Athletes’ Commission is not a rifle or shotgun athlete
- One director representing a senior International Shooting Sports Federation position
- Two independent directors
- One club representative director
See the full USA Shooting Board of Directors: https://usashooting.org/about/leadership/
