BELLEVUE, WA – Don Turner, president of the Nevada Firearms Coalition and a veteran gun rights activist, has been honored by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms with its Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his lifelong devotion to Second Amendment rights.
Turner, who spent 30 years with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, was founder of the NFC in 2011. The organization has several accomplishments to its credit, with Turner on point. He served on the Boards of Directors for the National Rifle Association and National Shooting Sports Foundation, and has been a leader in range development for both organizations. He was statewide project leader for shooting ranges while in Arizona, and during his service with Arizona Game and Fish, he was a wildlife manager, strategic wildlife planner, regional law enforcement supervisor, field operations coordinator and manager of the famous Ben Avery Shooting Facility.
“Don Turner is one of those guys who has never said something can’t be done,” CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb observed. “The story of his life reads like an adventure novel with politics thrown in for good measure. One could easily say he has managed to cram two or three remarkable lifetimes into one, and he’s still got irons in the fire. He truly is an amazing man, and he’s had an amazing career.”
Turner recalled that he has been a shooter since the tender age of six. His father was in the Army, and naturally introduced his youngster to firearms. After his service with Arizona Game and Fish, he began working for Clark County, Nevada where he had been a consultant on the planning for the Clark County Shooting park. He retired from his job at the shooting park in September 2010, and then went on to found the NFC.
Looking back on legislative successes, Turner says he took a lesson from Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese general, strategist, writer and philosopher.
“It takes strategy and tactics to win,” he observed, “but tactics without strategy is the fastest road to defeat. Do your planning and fund-raising first before you mount the attack.”
“I’m deeply humbled and overwhelmed,” Turner said, upon learning of his award. “I want to express my gratitude and I’ve always supported the Citizens Committee, and its sister organization, the Second Amendment Foundation. This is awesome!”