Jay McAninch has led the ATA since 2000 and a hallmark of his tenure has been the rejuvenation of the relationship between industry and the state agencies. McAninch took a leadership role in the formation of the Industry-Agency Coalition and is a founding board member of the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports. In 2010, AFWA awarded McAninch the Special Recognition Leadership Award for his tireless commitment to forging stronger bonds between agency and industry members.

Recently, McAninch led the effort to form the National Deer Alliance where he currently serves as board chair and he also serves on the TRCP board of directors as well as on the steering committee of the Outdoor Recreation Industry Roundtable. Over his career McAninch has been a visible and effective conservation voice on Capitol Hill and with the Clinton, Bush, Obama and now Trump administrations.

Under McAninch’s leadership, the ATA Trade Show has become the world’s biggest business event of the year in archery and bowhunting. McAninch has also been particularly successful in uniting archery and bowhunting interests and in setting priorities and long-term strategic planning for the recruitment and retention of archers and bowhunters.

Previously, McAninch was a wildlife research ecologist first for the Institute of Ecosystem Studies in New York and then for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. McAninch has degrees from Iowa State and Ohio State and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist. Prior to coming to ATA, McAninch lead the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation.

A life-long bowhunter, fisherman and outdoorsman, Jay and his wife Janet have two children, Ben, an attorney from North Mankato, MN and Becky, a senior marketing director from Chicago, IL. In addition to reading history, landscaping, and football, Jay says his full-time job is being grandfather to three grandsons, Bart, Frankie and Jack and a granddaughter, Evie.