Prior to voting, please carefully review the candidate’s bios and responses to questions about board service.

The candidates are presented in alphabetical order by last name.

Those elected will take the seats of outgoing board members, whom POMA is greatly indebted to – Tom Opre, Kevin Reese, Kristine Houtman, and Steve McGrath.

To vote, click the vote icon at the end of the candidate profiles (bottom of the page).

2016 POMA Board of Directors Candidates Bios and Responses to Questions Related to Board Service

Lars Dalseide
Falls Church, Virginia

Media Liaison
NRA

Lars Dalseide has been with the National Rifle Association for 8 years. Starting in the program side of the association’s Media Relations department, he worked on productions from Discovery Channel, History Channel, and Outdoor Channel while writing for American Rifleman, American Hunter, and NRAblog. Now as a Media Liaison and spokesman for NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action, he follows firearm-related policies and legislation for almost 20 states.

Ryan Gresham
Mandeville, Louisianna

Television Host
Gun Talk Media

Ryan Gresham grew up shooting, hunting and fishing in a family known in the outdoors industry.  His father, Tom Gresham and grandfather, Grits Gresham taught Ryan the right way to shoot, hunt and fish and the right way to treat others as well.

Ryan attended Louisiana State University and graduated with a degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Electronic Media.  Ryan has worked in radio, print, cable television and broadcast television in such roles as on-air talent, commercial production, and advertising sales.

For the past seven years, Ryan has worked with Gun Talk Media running the sales and marketing, working with companies to promote their brands and products and help grow their businesses, as well as on camera for Gun Talk’s TV shows and online videos.  He helped develop new shows.  This wide experience has given him important insights into the creative as well as the business side of the outdoor industry.

In the seven years Ryan has worked with Gun Talk Media, audience and revenue has experienced significant growth.

Ryan has lived in Alaska and Arizona, but most of his time has been in Louisiana.  In his spare time, which is few and far between with a family with two young daughters, he enjoys hunting, shooting, boating, and fishing.  He also has played in several bands over the years singing and playing drums.

Why do You Want to Serve on the POMA Board?

I have grown up in the outdoor media industry.  I started by helping my father and grandfather on photo shoots for magazine articles, even posing as a model for pictures (shooting guns, holding fish, touching icebergs) and holding reflectors.  I graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Mass Communications with a focus on electronic media.  I have worked in print, radio, broadcast TV, and Cable TV.  I started working with Gun Talk Media 9 years ago.  When I started we just had Gun Talk Radio which ran on 52 radio stations.  Today Gun Talk Radio airs on 220 radio stations each week, we average over 275,000 podcast downloads each month.  We produce 2 TV series which air on both Sportsman Channel and Wild TV and have aired on NBC Sports Network, and Pursuit Channel.  I created an online series called First Person Defender which has been viewed nearly 50 million minutes on YouTube.  We are launching new ways for our audience to consume our media products and new ways for sponsors to reach that audience including channels on Roku , Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV.  We have also launched a new smartphone app called GunDealio which utilizes geolocation marketing to message consumers when they enter a gun store.

I believe I can help POMA members in looking at the future of media consumption, content production and the needs of marketers.  The world of media is changing rapidly and we need to not only keep up with that change but drive the way our audiences are reached and the way our advertisers reach that audience.

Ryan Repp
Des Moines, Iowa

Communications Manager
Brownells, Inc.

Ryan Repp serves as the Communications Manager for the 77-year-old, Iowa-based Brownells, Inc. Brownells is a leader in both products and information for all things firearms, and is best known for its website – www.brownells.com – which features nearly 100,000 items for nearly anything that goes on, in, through or our near a firearm.

Ryan’s background is in public relations. He served as a police officer with the Newton Police Department (IA) for nearly 10 years, having been a field training officer, TASER Instructor and community outreach officer. He left law enforcement in 2009 to pursue a full-time career in public relations.

While completing his marketing degree, he worked in customer service roles at Bushnell Outdoor Products in Overland Park, Kansas, and interned with the NASCAR-sanctioned Kansas Speedway. Ryan continues to work as a part-time PR person for Kansas Speedway. He enjoys interacting with national media while also learning new and fun media outreach techniques being used in a major sports environment and by the Fortune 500 companies that support it.

Ryan began his employment with Brownells as a copywriter in January 2012 and was promoted to communications manager in 2013. Ryan is currently in charge of strategic direction of Brownells’ advertising, public relations, social media, event management, photo/video production and catalog teams. He says the best thing about his job at Brownells is that he gets paid to simply be himself.

In addition to his role at Brownells, Ryan serves as a board member for the Iowa Chapter of Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S). C.O.P.S. is a national 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that provides organizational and emotional support, plus advocacy for the families and departments that have lost officers in the line of duty.

Ryan enjoys upland game hunting, fishing and recreational shooting. He has been an active POMA CP member since 2012.

Why do You Want to Serve on the POMA Board?

POMA is an organization that has played a critical role in my success as a professional outdoor communicator. One reason I wish to serve as a board member is to give back to the organization that has given me so much. The chief reason for my interest, however, is to learn more about the needs and desires of both our CPs and our media members, and then implement efforts bring them even closer together.

It’s my sincere belief that the media is the heart and soul of the organization, and that the CPs are here to help our media members tell the exciting stories of our wild and native lands.

With both sides of this organization marching together in time, our organization will be stronger than ever. I feel that I can bring everyone closer together with the ultimate goal of amplifying our collective voice – the voice of the outdoors.

Michelle Scheuermann
Woodbury, Minnesota

Freelance
BulletProof Communications, LLC

Michelle Scheuermann is a 12 year veteran of marketing communications helping brands and individuals get noticed in traditional and non-traditional media outlets. Michelle was the Director of Communications for the national cable network, Sportsman Channel for eight years, creating and leading a PR department focusing on multiple audiences. There, she honed her skills in media relations, social media management, branding, public affairs and government affairs outreach initiatives. She also was the first to activate Twitter and learn the power of online branding and interaction. She blogs on her website about her travels, communication observations and updates on her podcast, Back at the Lodge (available on iTunes and Stitcher Radio) at http://bulletproofmediablog.com. Most recently Michelle started her publicity consulting business, BulletProof Communications, LLC, and still works with Sportsman Channel (now Outdoor Sportsman Group) along with other individuals and companies in the outdoor world and beyond. Her goal is to help clients be heard in the cluttered media world.  Michelle lives in the St. Paul area with her husband, Wayne, and cat, Harrison.Why do You Want to Serve on the POMA Board?

I’m interested in running for the board as I’ve been a member of POMA since the very beginning during my tenure at Sportsman Channel and I’ve been able to see it rise to the wonderful powerhouse media association it is today. I’m proud of POMA and all its done in the past, but I also know there is much work to do for the future to continue staying relevant in this ever-changing media landscape. Protecting and serving the outdoors has been my full-time job for a number of years now and I’m happy to give back to the association that has served me so well!

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