LAS VEGAS — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, today presented its highest honor — the Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award — to Jeff Reh, who served for four decades at Beretta USA Corp. as General Counsel and was a member of the NSSF Board of Governors for more than 20 years.

Reh was recognized as the recipient of the award at the NSSF Members Meeting during the industry’s annual trade show, the SHOT Show®.

“Jeff has been a pillar of wise counsel throughout his decades of service at Beretta and NSSF,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “For his leadership and many other contributions to the firearm industry, he is a most worthy recipient of the NSSF Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award. Jeff is a long-time colleague and friend, and it’s an honor to present this award to him.”

The NSSF Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves by their long-term commitment to the success of the industry and by their support of NSSF’s mission to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports.

Reh, who retired last year from Beretta USA, served for 22 years on the NSSF Board of Governors, 17 of them as the board’s Co-Vice Chairman. His guidance assisted in the growth and influence of NSSF during his board tenure.

He also served for 23 years on the board of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute® (SAAMI), including two terms as Chairman. SAAMI is the organization that creates and publishes industry standards for safety, interchangeability, reliability and quality, coordinating technical data and promoting safe and responsible firearms use.

Reh was a leading voice in helping to guide the firearm industry through some of its most challenging times. In the late 1990s, he helped create the Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Fund, which raised tens of millions of dollars to successfully fight politically-motivated lawsuits filed against industry by municipalities. This aggressive response to these frivolous lawsuits led to Congress passing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, which was signed into law in 2005 by President George W. Bush.

Reh and Beretta also contributed greatly to growing participation in the shooting sports over the years, showing strong support for programs like the NSSF-developed Scholastic Clay Target Program. Today, the scholastic shooting sports are thriving and have tens of thousands of participants nationwide.

In the area of firearm safety, Reh, an avid target shooter and hunter, showed unwavering support for NSSF’s Project ChildSafe® program and, more recently, its new Gun Storage Check WeekTM campaigns.

Reh was unable to attend the SHOT Show award presentation but received the Ken Sedlecky Lifetime Achievement Award—a handsome Canada goose mounted on a stylish wood base—late last year in Washington, D.C., from Bartozzi.

The NSSF achievement award’s namesake, Ken Sedlecky, had a long career at Smith & Wesson, was inducted into the National Skeet Shooting Hall of Fame and was known for mentoring new youth and adult target shooters.