Get to Know the Network Leaders

The Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network, Inc. is a privately-owned, for-profit corporation led by President Marty Hayes, Vice-President Vincent Shuck and Operations Manager Gila Hayes. Brief biographical sketches of each follow.

MARTY HAYESMarty Hayes

The concept of the Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network, Inc. is the idea of the Network’s President Marty Hayes, who, after founding and running a successful firearms training business (The Firearms Academy of Seattle, Inc.) for many years, chose to address the issues of post shooting legal issues. In 2003, Marty decided to pursue a law degree with the expectation of working in the legal arena, and during this time, the idea of the Network was born. Upon graduation in 2007, he set out to form the structure of the Network, along with working with other top firearms training professionals to ensure the success of the Network.

Marty brings 30 years experience as a professional firearms instructor, 30 years of law enforcement association and his knowledge of the legal profession both as an expert witness and his legal education to the leadership of the Network.

J. VINCENT SHUCK

Vice-President Shuck brings 30 years of association management experience to the Network. In addition to his duties with the Network, Vincent serves as vice president of the Armed Citizens' Legal Defense Network.Vincent Shuck

A veteran management executive, Vincent has familiarity with membership associations, credentialing boards and charitable foundations, and brings a record of organizational development, strategic planning, program implementation and successful collaboration with association leaders.

As the chief administrative and executive officer of several organizations, Vincent has been responsible for management operations, business affairs and property, promoting the interests of associations, supervising investment activities, evaluating annual meeting properties, negotiating hotel contracts, supervising the production of various meetings, and maintaining liaison with other organizations.

A lifetime shooter, Vincent has over a decade of firearms training and certification at a number of facilities.


Gila Hayes GILA HAYES

Gila Hayes serves as Chief Operating Officer for the Network, in addition to editing the Network's online journal. She brings over two decades of shooting and firearms instruction to the job.

A free-lance writer, Gila is author of the books Effective Defense and Personal Defense for Women and Concealed Carry for Women, was women's editor for Gun Digest for several years and has work published in Police Magazine, Women and Guns Magazine, Handguns, NRA American Guardian and Woman's Outlook, American Handgunner, Gun Week, GUNS Magazine, Combat Handguns Annual, Glock Annual, Smith & Wesson Annual and others. Before working in the firearms industry, she was publisher of a small-town newspaper.