Nominated by both NRA Members’ Petition and by NRA’s Nominating Committee, John Sigler is another ORA Life Member who has once again agreed to run for and serve on the NRA Board of Directors. Although John’s home is in Delaware, he tells us he fell in love with Oklahoma when he first visited Enid for the Grand National Quail Hunt.
A lifelong hunter, competitive shooter, collector and Second Amendment activist, John is a veteran of the United States Submarine Service, a retired Police Captain and an experienced corporate attorney whose passion is Second Amendment legal research and advocacy. For over 30 years John served as a volunteer lobbyist representing Delaware’s NRA state association in Delaware’s legislature. He has written dozens of pro-gun bills and amendments and testified before Delaware’s House and Senate many times.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management from Wilmington College, a Master’s Degree in Business Management and Supervision from Central Michigan University and a Juris Doctorate (Cum Laude) from the Delaware Law School of Widener University, all of which he obtained while working full time as a police officer in Delaware.
John’s full biography may be found at www.sigler4nra.com.
What is your home gun club and how long have you been a member?
My home club is now the Bridgeville Rifle and Pistol Club in Bridgeville, Delaware, a 100% NRA club of over 1,700 members. An active F-Class High Power Rifle “High Master” competitor, I have had the privilege of competing on ranges all over the United States and several foreign countries. I had the honor of being a member of the United States F-Class Rifle (Open) Team that won the World Championships in South Africa in 2023. I hold International Distinguished Rifleman Badge #67. I was a Pistol Referee at Camp Perry for 15 years and the Chief Referee for the NRA National Police Shooting Championships.
What has been your local involvement through the years?
I was the co-founder and first president of the Delaware Law Enforcement Marksmanship Association (100% NRA) which led me to become a member of the Board of Directors and eventually president of the Delaware State Sportsmen’s Association, NRA’s state association in Delaware. I also co-founded the Delaware Foundation for Legislative Action, a pro-gun PAC, and the Delaware Association of Second Amendment Lawyers. I recently founded The American Society for the Promotion of International Amateur Competition to help fund the various international rifle teams.
On the political front, I have had the honor and privilege of serving as the Chairman of Delaware’s 34th District Republican Committee, the Kent County Republican Committee and Chairman of Delaware’s Republican State Committee. I also represented Delaware on the Republican National Committee where I was Chairman of the Conservative Steering Committee and a member of the Conservative Caucus. I helped to write and pass the most pro-Second Amendment plank to ever become part of a national party’s national platform.
What excites you about serving on the NRA Board?
Times are changing, and that is a good thing. I had the honor and privilege of being NRA’s 59th president from 2007-2009, back in “The Glory Days” following Charlton Heston’s presidency. Back then we operated under a balanced budget, we had both long term and short term reserves, our membership was growing, and NRA-ILA was winning in Congress, state legislatures and in the courts. In addition to Second Amendment advocacy, our (my) focus back then was on NRA education, training and competitive shooting programs for veterans, disabled shooters, women and youth. Accountability, integrity, and transparency were the watchwords of the day – and they must be so again.
I am excited because I believe we can – and we must – return to the “Glory Days” where NRA is once again the leader in Second Amendment advocacy, our members and donors once again respect and trust the NRA, and our enemies fear us.
I am excited because the barriers that once stood in our way have now been removed. It is time to revive, reform and rebuild NRA 2.0. It is time to return NRA to the members – the members “own” the NRA, not the Board, not the officers and not the staff. For more on this topic please go to www.sigler4nra.com.
What do you feel is a valuable component of leadership and how do you strive toward that?
I learned in the Navy and then later as a police supervisor, that true leaders “lead from the front.” They lead by example. A true leader never asks others to do anything they cannot or will not do for themselves. A true leader is a master of communications – they listen before they speak and when they speak, they speak with respect. A true leader is a teacher – teach them what is expected and how to accomplish the mission, give them the tools to do the job, and then give them the room and the trust they need to succeed.
