Former Freeman SVP has Passion for Archery, 17 Years in Business Development

For more information, contact Teresa Johnson at (860) 904-0497 or teresajohnson@archerytrade.org

NEW ULM, Minnesota – The Archery Trade Association has chosen Matt Kormann of Marietta, Georgia, as its next president/CEO, after a nationwide hunt led by an executive search firm. Kormann will succeed Jay McAninch, who announced in March that 2017 would be his last year as ATA’s president/CEO. Kormann expects to begin his ATA tenure on October 16.

Kormann is currently senior vice president of corporate account sales for the Freeman Co., a $2.4 billion world leader in event marketing. His 17-year career at Freeman helped Kormann learn the best practices of hundreds of businesses, industries and associations while becoming a business leader and passionate team coach. Kormann also learned grassroots politics while serving as a trustee for the Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, and as a member of its budget and finance committee.

Kormann stood out to the ATA Board of Directors’ CEO search committee for his business acumen and diverse experience, and for his passion for archery. Kormann’s daughter is a compound-bow archer who competes nationally and internationally in 3-D and target archery; and Kormann is a certified archery instructor and judge who traveled over 4,000 miles in recent months to support his daughter in competition.

Kormann’s archery fervor guided his decision to apply for the ATA’s CEO position. “Opportunities like this are exceedingly rare,” Kormann said. “The ATA has an incredible foundation. Expert leadership and a culture of collaboration between members and staff have allowed it to thrive. I’m confident we can bring this great sport to even more bowhunting and tournament participants, while strengthening the industry as a whole. While all of that is exciting for me, this role is really unique. It blends the things I’ve been most passionate about in my professional life with what I’m most passionate about away from work. Our family fell in love with archery almost five years ago. Since then, it’s taken us throughout America and as far away as Argentina. When I learned of Jay’s retirement, I knew I had to take a shot.”

Board members were equally enthusiastic about Kormann after reviewing the qualifications of several outstanding candidates. Kormann’s most distinguished professional experience includes expertise in sales, customer service, business development, strategic planning and event management.

“Matt was the clear finalist to take to the full Board for approval,” said ATA Board Chair Ben Summers, vice president of T.R.U. Ball/AXCEL. “Rather than depending on the information given to candidates during the hiring process, Matt drilled down and talked to several dealers. He knew intricate details about our industry, and had great ideas to fix important problems. It was easy to see that Matt understands business and cares about the people he serves. Most importantly, however, Matt clearly knew archery and bowhunting like a seasoned professional. I believe he will care about our retail and manufacturing businesses like they are his own.”

Kormann said he is excited to combine his work ethic and love of archery to serve the ATA’s membership. “My first responsibility is to listen and learn,” he said. “I’ll be doing just that, beginning Day One. The Board, Jay and our incredible staff have helped build a map that ensures success. It’s focused on time in the field. I’ll be meeting with members, both virtually and in person. I’m eager to hear what’s working, and how we can work together to improve. I’m eager to listen, so that we can design a strategy that will support our members’ goals while continuing to strengthen the ATA.”

ATA Board members are confident in Kormann. “I am very pleased to have Matt joining the ATA,” said Greg Easton, president of Jas. D. Easton Inc., and a member of the ATA Board’s executive committee. “We had a large pool of candidates, and the finalists were all well-qualified, but the search committee was unanimous in our selection and support of Matt. Matt brings some exciting skills, experience and interest in archery to the ATA’s CEO position, and I look forward to working with him.”

Mark Copeland, store director for Jay’s Sporting Goods in Michigan, and a member of the ATA Board’s executive committee, agreed. “Matt brings a level of enthusiasm for archery that was palpable in his interviews,” Copeland said. “His travel this year alone with his daughter’s competitions is a testament to his dedication to our sport. I am very confident in the skillset he brings to our team. I look forward to seeing Matt in action as he guides the ATA into the future, with fresh ideas and outside-the-box thinking.”

McAninch will remain engaged in his current ATA responsibilities to help Kormann transition into the president/CEO role. The “changing of the guard” will help foster strong relationships while building on McAninch’s 17 years of success in the position. The 2018 ATA Trade Show is expected to include a celebration of McAninch’s ATA career, and meetings between Kormann and industry stakeholders.

McAninch plans to spend more time afield bowhunting and bowfishing with his grandchildren, but Summers is confident McAninch will “continue to be a force for good in the conservation community.”

About the Archery Trade Association
The Archery Trade Association is the organization for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sales representatives and others working in the archery and bowhunting industry. The ATA has served its members since 1953. It is dedicated to making the industry profitable by decreasing business overhead, reducing taxes and government regulation, and increasing participation in archery and bowhunting. The organization also owns and operates the ATA Trade Show, the archery and bowhunting industry’s largest and longest-running trade show worldwide. For more information, like the ATA Trade Show on Facebook, follow @ATATradeShow on Twitter, or learn more about archery and bowhunting at Archery360.com and Bowhunting360.com.

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Senior officials from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and U.S. Forest Service met with more than 30 representatives of the outdoor recreation industry, including ATA President/CEO Jay McAninch and Jas. D. Easton, Inc. CFO and Vice President, Daren Cottle, at Shenandoah National Park April 24 to discuss improving visitor experiences on America’s public lands and waters. The meeting was hosted by the Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable (ORIR) at Skyland Resort – operated by National Park concessioner Delaware North.

McAninch also represented the ATA’s members in a meeting with Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke on Monday evening, discussing the impact of the recreation industry as it relates to creating sustainable opportunities for people to enjoy the outdoors, including activities like bowhunting and archery.

According to the American Sportfishing Association’s press release, Secretary Zinke provided an overview of his design for a major departmental reorganization, which he described as the “biggest in 100 years,” which reflects the visions of legendary outdoorsmen John Muir and Gifford Pinchot. The reorganization will unite all federal lands around key ecosystems. He told the group that the reorganization will reflect recreation’s large and growing role in public land and water management and substantially boost on-the-ground manpower.

The wide-ranging discussion included plans for ongoing cooperation and collaboration, including the development of sites for innovative, partner-based recreation expansion on federal lands. The Secretary invited the ORIR to return with a list of at least ten sites within 60 days.

The meeting concluded with conversations about how ORIR and the recreation community could support the Secretary’s efforts, including the reorganization. The Secretary is eager to enlist the recreation community and recognizes the opportunities for use of channels ranging from trade and consumer shows to retail locations to social media sites and recreation print and electronic publications, according to the ASA.

Outdoor recreation is big business, generating $887 billion in direct spending and supporting 7.6+ million jobs across all 50 states. At Skyland Resort, ORIR members, key recreation company CEOs and senior administration officials discussed how improved infrastructure and increased opportunities for innovation and public-private partnerships will give more people the chance to enjoy healthy, active fun on their public lands and waters, while helping outdoor recreation continue to grow as a powerful and positive force in America.

“Access to recreation opportunities on Federal lands is critical for the long-term sustainability of our industry,” McAninch commented. “By teaming up with the ORIR and other outdoor trade organizations, the ATA strengthens its ability to advocate for our industry and the access needed to keep people using bows and arrows for many years to come.”

DOI Senior White House Advisor Doug Domenech outlined key goals and challenges, and emphasized the need to expand access on public lands and waters, saying, “the Roosevelt Arch says, ‘For the benefit and enjoyment of the people,’ and bringing people back to the equation is clearly an important issue.”

Meeting participants identified access as a crucial area where the private sector can help federal partners improve visitor experiences in the great outdoors. They discussed the negative impact of access restrictions and the value of adopting practices to help enhance access to public lands and waters, including a “yes first” mentality, the streamlining of permitting processes, and closer management partnerships with state fish and wildlife agencies and the recreation industry.

Participants also discussed the importance of providing visitors with world-class experiences in these world-class places, and the role private industry can play in upgrading facilities, increasing connectivity, implementing electronic passes, modernizing campsites, developing access for hunting and fishing, creating new recreation opportunities such as shooting, and more.

“It was a privilege to be included in the ORIR’s discussions with DOI and Forest Service officials,” Cottle said. “We at Easton, Hoyt and the Easton Foundations feel a responsibility to join the ATA and the broader outdoor recreation industry to engage with government agencies to help improve and expand outdoor recreation. With the ORIR now in place, we can be a unified force to help move the outdoor recreation needle in a more positive direction. It is also encouraging that the archery industry has a seat at the table.”

Industry members offered their ideas on reducing the multi-billion-dollar maintenance backlog plaguing the public lands. Suggestions included longer concessions contracts, extended service hours and seasons, restructured fee retention, reduced barriers to private investment, more efficient fee collection and a reassessment of backlog needs.

“Our ORIR team agreed to create project proposals for 10 sites within the next 60 days, which means we have to walk the talk, just like Secretary Zinke has done,” McAninch explained. “Public-private partnerships are key to making those experiences positive, shareable ones that will keep people excited about visiting the great outdoors, and enjoying activities like archery and bowhunting.”

The recreation industry representatives emphasized their commitment to helping DOI overcome its current challenges. Providing support for DOI funding in the FY2018 budget, encouraging a Recreation Title in upcoming infrastructure legislation and prioritizing the REC Act were just some of the ideas offered during the discussion. They also discussed how public-private partnerships can help promote awareness and support for America’s outdoors by capitalizing on industry efforts like Explore Bowhunting, Go RVing, Discover Boating and TakeMeFishing to spread the word about great opportunities on public lands and waters. ORIR members noted that their trade shows – the eight largest recreation trade shows in the country, including the ATA Trade Show – would provide a perfect opportunity to enhance communications between DOI and the nation’s recreation community.

“There is extraordinary opportunity,” said Frank Hugelmeyer, Recreation Vehicle Industry Association President and an ORIR member. “Never before has an industry coalition with all outdoor recreation sectors come together with a unified voice to offer its assistance in improving visitor experiences on America’s public land and waters. Our great outdoors are a unifying force in an era of political divisions, and the outdoor recreation industry stands ready to join forces with Secretary Zinke and the Department of the Interior in providing healthy, active outdoor fun in America’s great outdoors.”

About the ATA
The Archery Trade Association is the organization for manufacturers, retailers, distributors, sales representatives and others working in the archery and bowhunting industry. The ATA has served its members since 1953. It is dedicated to making the industry profitable by decreasing business overhead, reducing taxes and government regulation, and increasing participation in archery and bowhunting. The organization also owns and operates the ATA Trade Show, the archery and bowhunting industry’s largest and longest-running trade show worldwide.

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