ASA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kenyon Gleason
NASGW — President
Kenyon Gleason is the president and secretary of the National Association of Sporting Goods Wholesalers (NASGW), headquartered in Ankeny, Iowa. He joined NASGW in January of 2015.
NASGW is a trade association comprised of wholesalers, manufacturers, independent sales reps, media and service providers – both national and international – primarily focused on shooting sports equipment and accessories. Gleason leads the team at NASGW in accomplishing their mission of bringing shooting sports buyers and sellers together and hosting the industry’s annual NASGW Expo and Annual Meeting, a trade show exclusively for two-step wholesale distributors and their manufacturer partners.
He serves on the board of directors for the American Suppressor Association (ASA), an advocacy and lobbying organization for the suppressor market. He is also the past chair of the Association Executive Council (AEC) and member of the board of directors for the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW) in Washington, D.C. Additionally, he serves on the board of trustees for Walk The Talk America (WTTA), an organization bringing awareness to mental health and firearms issues.
Prior to taking over at NASGW, he was the vice president of development and field operations for the American Road and Transportation Builders Association in Washington, D.C., focused on U.S. transportation related issues, legislation and advocacy.
Gleason has also been an active participant in the political arena, serving as a campaign advisor and coalition director for U.S. House and Senate races. He was himself elected to an at-large seat on the Sioux Falls (S.D.) City Council from 2000-2004.
He is an award-winning journalist and has worked in television, radio and print newsrooms across the upper Midwest. Gleason has 30 years of media, communications, marketing, public and government relations, and political experience in a variety of industries including healthcare, education, transportation, agriculture and the shooting sports.
A North Dakota native, he is a graduate of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota with a degree in communications. He’s the owner and founder of Connect Consulting, LLC, a business and association management service provider. He and his wife live in Topeka, Kansas and are the proud parents of five grown sons.