Articles

2003 NRA-ILA Volunteer Organization of the Year

Board of Directors

President - Jeff Garvas

Jeff Garvas is a lifelong resident of the State of Ohio living in either Cuyahoga or Summit county for most of his life. He was introduced to pistol shooting by a friend in the early 1990's and discovered Ohio was one of just a few states that prohibited carrying a firearm for self-defense. Inspired by the success of the Kentucky group KC3 and the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners (MCRGO), Garvas approached two good friends* who happened to be commissioned police officers, and others who worked behind the scenes, with the idea to create a grassroots gun rights organization named Ohioans For Concealed Carry, Inc. The goal was to make it legal to carry a concealed firearm and reform other self-defense related laws in Ohio. Garvas has appeared before the 123rd, 124th, 125th, and 126th General Assemblies on behalf of Ohioans For Concealed Carry, beginning with opposition testimony to safe-storage gun control pushed by Governor Bob Taft. (HB526, 123rd GA).

Garvas works in the Information Technology field, working for various Internet Service Providers when OFCC was formed, and used his unique understanding and access to the Internet to create one of the most expansive grassroots gun rights campaigns online. He is a Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) and a Redhat Certified Engineer.

Garvas is an NRA Certified Instructor in the disciplines of Basic Pistol and Personal Protection, has attended more than sixty hours of training at the Tactical Defense Institute, and has taught many license holders the material required to obtain a concealed handgun license in Ohio.

Like Bryan Torok and Travis Fasko, Garvas is a licensed Amateur Radio operator (N8YNR) and volunteers numerous hours every year for organizations like the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, The March of Dimes, and other charitable organizations served by the the Northeast Ohio Medical Reserve Corps. Garvas has served as an elected Trustee with the Lake Erie Amateur Radio Association since 1998 and serves as the Communication Coordinator for the National Multiple Scelrosis Society Buckeye Chapter's Pedal to The Point bike committee, volunteering since 1993.

Executive Director, Secretary/Treasurer - Daniel White

Daniel has lived in Ohio for most of his life, leaving only to attend the University of Hartford in Connecticut where he majored in Criminal Justice with minors in Sociology and English. Daniel currently works as a Database Administrator for Willoway Nurseries. A lifelong hunter, Daniel also enjoys fishing, hiking, and camping. He also volunteers with the Lorain Area Republican Party and is the Cleveland Gun Rights Examiner.

Daniel joined Ohioans For Concealed Carry in 2002 and organized two of the Open Carry Self-Defense Walks (Lorain and Vermilion) held prior to passage of HB12. In 2004, he took over duties as Newsletter Editor, and later that same year was appointed Membership Coordinator. In 2005, he resigned as Membership Coordinator and was appointed to the Board of Directors to finish out Travis Fasko's term. This term was up for election in 2006, but no candidates declared an intention to seek nomination, so the election was suspended.

In February of 2006, OFCC launched the Firearms Freedom Podcast with Daniel as host. In addition, he assists Jeff Garvas as an administrator of the OhioCCW Forums, is a frequent contributor of news stories to the OFCC website, and coordinates both the annual Fun 'n Gun PAC fundraiser and the Party in the Park picnic.

Daniel is a NRA Training Counselor certified in Home Firearm Safety, Basic Pistol, and Personal Protection in the Home. He has completed over 100 hours of firearms training, including advancing through handgun level 5 at the Tactical Defense Institute.