John Commerford Appointed Interim Executive Director of NRA-ILA

The NRA has announced the appointment of John Commerford as the Interim Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA). The decision was made by NRA Executive Vice President & CEO Doug Hamlin, marking the second leadership transition for the organization’s advocacy arm in just over a year.

Randy Kozuch, who had served as the interim executive director of NRA-ILA since his appointment in April 2023, was quietly removed from that position in late November. There were no announcements of the move by NRA and in fact, an internal email that was leaked on Facebook, suggests keeping it quiet was the intent.

An internal email shared by Hamlin on Nov. 22 read:

To All:

The word has filtered out prematurely regarding the employment status of Randy Kozuch. Randy and I are communicating and will be doing so again on Monday. Randy is a valued and treasured member of the NRA family; our intent is to put him in a position that allows us to better leverage his incredible talent and strengths.

Doug Hamlin

EVP/CEO

National Rifle Association of America

And then last week, still with little to no explanation as to Kozuch’s intended placement in a new position and nothing publicly stated about his removal/separation from the role, NRA simply announced the appointment of Commerford. It isn’t uncommon for corporations not to announce a key staffers departure, particularly if they were removed, due to the myriad of human resources and employment laws that can land them in hot water if they say the wrong thing. However, with the news spotlight always on NRA, particularly in the past couple of years with the legal troubles and leadership changes in the organization, any changing of the guard in a key position such as ILA executive director is going to draw media attention.

According to the NRA-ILA announcement, Commerford, who began his career with the NRA as an intern in 2007, has steadily advanced within the organization, earning a reputation as a tireless advocate for the Second Amendment. As Chief of Operations for NRA-ILA since 2019, he managed day-to-day activities and played a pivotal role in shaping political strategies for high-stakes electoral races. During the 2024 presidential election, Commerford spearheaded efforts to maximize the impact of NRA member contributions, ensuring every dollar was strategically utilized to advance the organization’s goals.

“John stands well-positioned to continue the legislative and political initiatives of NRA-ILA in support of the constitutional freedoms guaranteed by the Second Amendment,” said Hamlin in a statement. “This will be a year of investment across the NRA, and ILA will continue to be at the forefront of everything we do on behalf of law-abiding gun owners.”

As Interim Executive Director, Commerford is tasked with leading NRA-ILA’s legislative and political strategies, with a continued focus on advancing gun rights and protecting the constitutional freedoms of NRA members nationwide.

Josh Savani Takes Helm of NRA General Operations

In other NRA appointment news, the NRA has appointed Josh Savani as the Executive Director of NRA General Operations. Savani, who joined the organization in 2010 as a legal intern, has held various senior roles within the NRA’s Research & Information Division, where he spearheaded legislative policy and operational innovations.

“Josh plans to create more opportunities for NRA members and the public to shoot, compete, and hunt,” said Hamlin. “He looks forward to expanding the reach of General Operations’ diverse programs to grow support for the Second Amendment and NRA’s mission.”