Photo credit: Official White House Photo by Tia Dufour
by Karen Mehall Phillips - Friday, March 13, 2020
The NRA announced it is canceling the 149th NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Nashville, Apr. 16-19, due to concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19). Continuing to closely monitor updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Tennessee Department of Health, the NRA announced the decision late yesterday as a state of emergency was being declared in Tennessee. While details regarding a rescheduled NRA Members’ Meeting will be forthcoming, the cancellation applies to all events and scheduled programs, such as the NRA-ILA Forum and the annual NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum dinner.
“We sincerely regret the need for this action, particularly for our many loyal members who join us for this annual celebration of the NRA and our constitutional freedoms,” said NRA Executive Vice President Wayne La Pierre in an official statement. “Please know that we did not reach this decision lightly. We were ultimately guided by our responsibility to help ensure the safety and well-being of our NRA members, guests and surrounding community.”
Under the direction of NRA President Carolyn Meadows, the NRA Board of Directors is working with the Office of the Secretary in relation to board elections and meetings.
The NRA recognizes that many NRA members and other meeting guests have questions about the coronavirus and its impact on the NRA convention. Those who have made travel plans to attend the NRA show are being asked to coordinate directly with any hotels, airlines or others who have assisted with travel arrangements. Most companies have announced plans to accommodate travelers dealing with event cancellations.
Please visit the NRA Annual Meetings and Exhibits website for additional updates regarding NRA activities. The NRA appreciates your understanding and continued support.
The NRA Hunters' Leadership Forum website covers news relevant to hunters on the local, national and international fronts. We track how hunters' dollars are spent and we celebrate our long and rich hunting tradition, exposing those who seek to destroy it. Follow NRAHLF.org on Twitter @HuntersLead.
About the Author
Karen Mehall Phillips is the director of communications for the NRA Hunters’ Leadership Forum and senior editor of NRA’s American Hunter. An avid rifle and bow hunter, she has hunted for 30 years and in 29 states, Canada, Italy, Finland, Germany, Spain, New Zealand, Greenland and Africa, including for two of the Big Five.
Karen draws on her experience to educate non-hunters on the critical role that hunters play in wildlife conservation worldwide and to inform them of the dangers anti-hunting extremists present to the future of wildlife conservation. She is invested in fighting America's culture war on hunters and hunting and works to shed light on anti-hunters’ blatant attempts to tout emotion and misinformation over scientific facts.
An NRA Endowment member, Karen worked in the NRA public relations arena prior to joining NRA Publications in 1998. She is the founding editor of two NRA official journals: America's 1st Freedom and Woman's Outlook. National writing awards include being named the 2015 Carl Zeiss Sports Optics Writer of the Year. She actively promotes women and families in the outdoors. She is also a member of the Washington metropolitan area's Fairfax Rod & Gun Club, a founding member of the Professional Outdoor Media Association, a member of Safari Club International and a Life member of the Dallas Safari Club and the Mule Deer Foundation.