Born and raised in Shelbyville, KY, Aaron Reed is a testament to dedication and service, both to his country and his community. Alongside his wife, Sarah, the couple balances the joy of raising six children with the demands of managing Ops Supply(Gun Store), Kodiak Koating(custom gun shop), and Wing A Prayer Farm — the family’s businesses.

Aaron had a robust military career spanning over 22 years as a Navy SEAL, rising to the rank of Special Operations Senior Chief. His retirement in December 2021 marked the end of a journey that saw him deploy to combat zones in Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea, and many places in between. Through these deployments, Aaron participated in hundreds of missions, amassing a wealth of real-world experience and honing his leadership skills.

Beyond his distinguished military service, Aaron is an accomplished academic and entrepreneur. He is a proud alumnus of Morehead State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and a minor in Criminology. His sharpshooting skills were on full display as a member of the NCAA Rifle Team. Further deepening his expertise in firearms, Aaron obtained a Gun-Smith Diploma from the respected Sonoran Desert Institute in Scottsdale, AZ.

Presently, Aaron serves as President/CEO of Kodiak Koating Inc., ASR Enterprises Inc., Ops United, and Ops Supply Inc. His love for firearms extends to the competitive arena, as he was recognized as a Professional 3-Gun Shooter in the 3-Gun Nation circuit on Team Remington and Bushmaster.

His passion for service and leadership has now channeled into the political arena, as he steps forward as a candidate for Kentucky State Senate in District #7.

Aaron’s commitment to veterans and their well-being is unwavering. He volunteers with the Navy SEAL Foundation and ardently supports his father’s initiative, Kentucky Wounded Heroes, ensuring that fellow servicemen and women receive the acknowledgment and care they’ve rightfully earned.

In every facet of his life, Aaron Reed stands as a beacon of leadership, commitment, and community engagement. He’s not just a distinguished guest speaker, but also a fervent advocate for the values and principles that have defined his life.

Steve Wiley retired in 2020 as a Senior Special Agent/Program Manager with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), after 20 years of exemplary service. During his tenure with ATF, Steve successfully prosecuted hundreds of Federal firearms, explosives, arson, and narcotics cases.

Steve spent 19 years as an ATF Firearms Instructor, during which time he provided an untold number of firearms and safe handling instruction classes to ATF personnel and state/local officers and investigators. He was a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s (FLETC) Firearms Instructor Training Program, where he was recognized as a Practical Pistol Course Expert and a Distinguished Weapons Expert. Other firearms related courses included Simunitions Supervisor Training, provided by Simunitions, Inc.; ATF New Firearms Instructor Training; and ATF M-4 Instructor Training. During ATF basic training as a new agent, Steve received the David Sullivan Memorial Firearms Award as the top shooter.

Before working for ATF, Steve was a Police Officer II with the Metro Nashville (TN) Police Department from 1993 to 1999. He was assigned to the Patrol Division and Community Oriented Policing/Bike Unit during his tenure.

Steve holds a Master of Science Degree from Cumberland University in Public Service Management, a Master’s Certificate in Explosives Technology from Missouri University of Science and Technology, and a Bachelor’s Degree from Tennessee Tech University in Sociology/Criminal Justice. Mr. Wiley is also a Certified Master Instructor with the United States Department of Labor and a Federal Law Enforcement Training Accreditation (FLETA) Certified Law Enforcement Instructor.

Deanna Cantrell has almost 30 years of municipal government passion and experience. Deanna is recognized as a prominent driver of public safety leadership, innovative and evidence-based problem solving, advancing trust and community building, organizational culture change and developing leaders. She has a proven record for exceptional communication, talented public speaking, forward-thinking policing, strategic planning, staff development, mentoring and coaching.

Deanna is a retired Police Chief from both Fairfield, California and San Luis Obispo (SLO) California. Deanna started her career in 1994 with the Mesa Arizona Police Department where she served for over 21 years and moved through the ranks from Officer to Assistant Chief.

Deanna recently assisted the Redlands, CA Police Department for 4 months with leadership development, strategic planning and recruiting/retention and wellness. Deanna served for 4 years as the Co-Chair for the California Women Leaders in Law Enforcement (WLLE) and was the first WLLE Foundation Board President and chair of the mentoring committee. She was a founding member and first president of the Arizona Women’s Initiative Network (AZ-WIN), is a member of the IACP Professional Standards Ethics and Image Committee, is a board member for Police2Peace and Gun Leash and is an executive Fellow for the National Policing Institute. Deanna has a BS in Education and a MA in Administration and is an Adjunct Professor for Northwestern University and Cal State Long Beach.

Deanna is the co-owner of Leadership Learner, providing engaging Keynotes, leadership and organizational development, full-day classes, strategic planning and executive coaching.

Deanna enjoys making lives better, the arts, playing the guitar, fly-fishing, golfing and growing future leaders. In 2019, while serving as the Chief of Police in San Luis Obispo and after carrying a firearm for 25 years, Deanna left her firearm in a public restroom. Deanna’s firearm was stolen, and thankfully, quickly recovered. Having Gun Leash would have expedited the recovery of her firearm.

Bruce Cardenas, a disabled United States Marine Corps veteran who has had a 35-year career in law enforcement starting with the Los Angeles Police Department. Bruce has been recognized for valor receiving multiple citations and meritorious certificates including the police star for bravery, while engaging an armed murder suspect in Hollywood. Bruce was also selected for Key coed positions, including being an advisor on the Christopher commission, which was formed after the Rodney King incident.

Bruce was also one of the department spokes persons during the O.J. Simpson trial working out of the community relations. Office for a period. While Bruce still serves as a level one Reserve with a Los Angeles County sheriff’s department, he has ventured into the entrepreneurs world, most notable being the chief communications officer at QUEST NUTRITION, which sold to Atkins nutrition for $1 billion cash. Bruce continues to be a leader in the Entrepreneur space building several other brands.

In addition, Bruce stays very active as a range master and is currently a trainer at operation Black site a private ranch in Temecula California were tactics firearm training, escape, and evasion and communication skills are taught to entrepreneurs. In addition, over the last 30 years, Bruce continues to provide technical advice on both television and movie sets in relation to firearm training and handling and safety. He has also maintained a private bodyguard protection business for the last 30 years where he maintains a small number of select High net worth individuals for personal protection, as well as security consulting for personal home, office, and travel procedures to keep individuals in their family safe around the clock. Bruce is a sponsored influencer with Kimber Firearms USA. And 221B Tactical to name just a few brands.

Master Sergeant T.D. Freeman joined the United States Marine Corps on July 5, 1984. He graduated as a squad leader and went to engineer school at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. He graduated number one in his class and selected Okinawa, Japan as his first duty station. At the age of 19 he attained a diplomatic passport with Top Secret Clearance. He was then assigned to help rebuild the American Embassy in San Salvador, El Salvador after an earthquake destroyed most of the city. Master Sergeant Freeman was often a decoy for Ambassadors in many countries. He served as a Marine Security Guard in El Salvador, Honduras, Barbados, and Jamaica after hurricane Gilbert. He was also assigned to a special engineer task force to come up with the best maneuvers to destroy enemy tanks during the first Gulf War.

After Master Sergeant T. D Freeman retired with more than 20 years of service, he went on to work for the Job Corps in Louisville, Kentucky. Master Sergeant T.D. Freeman has not only been a mentor for young kids in the Job Corps, but he continues to be a strong mentor for young men in the community when it presents itself. For the past 25 years he has been an active supporter of the Toys for Tots charity initiative. Msgt Freeman has also worked for the state of Kentucky as an Employment Specialist and is currently working for Veterans Affairs finding veterans employment within the state of Kentucky. Msgt Freeman continue to help and support veterans by participating in events benefiting veterans.