About GOA
Gun Owners of America (GOA) was founded in 1976 by the late California State Senator H.L. (Bill) Richardson. The GOA Board of Directors brings over 100 years of combined knowledge and experience on guns, legislation, and politics. GOA’s Board is not satisfied with the “status quo.” Americans have lost some of our precious gun rights and we want them back! This is why GOA is considered the “no compromise” gun lobby.
From state legislatures and city councils to the United States Congress and the White House, GOA represents the views of more than two million gun owners whenever their rights are threatened.
PA State Director, Colonel Val W. Finnell, USAF Ret.
Dr. Val Finnell, Pennsylvania Director
Col. (Dr.) Finnell is a native of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and currently resides in the Camp Hill, PA area, very close to the PA State Capitol Complex.
He received his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Washington and Jefferson College in 1990, a Doctor of Medicine degree from the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in 1994, and a Master of Public Health (Health Services Administration) in 2008. Dr. Finnell completed a residency in Anatomic/Clinical Pathology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and a second residency in Preventive Medicine/Public Health from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
He retired in July of 2016 from the United States Air Force in the rank of colonel.
Dr. Finnell is a staunch advocate for the right to keep and bear arms for over 20+ years. He was the first president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a statewide grassroots organization dedicated to protecting the Second Amendment.
Under his leadership in Pennsylvania, the GOA-backed Constitutional Carry bill made it to Governor Wolf’s desk in November of 2021.
He is a USCCA firearms instructor and a graduate of the Sonoran Desert Institute’s Handgun Specialist program.
Rob Cauthon, PA Deputy Director
PA Deputy State Director, Robert Cauthon
Robert Cauthon is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who served nearly a decade as a recon scout, recruiter, and instructor with deployments in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. After being medically retired, he continued his public service as a federal police officer for the U.S. Navy and later as an IT Generalist with the Pennsylvania State Police. He also served as an elected State Constable in Cumberland County, working with local courts and law enforcement to uphold justice in his community.
Robert graduated from Shippensburg University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, concentrating in Management Information Systems.
A devoted father and lifelong defender of freedom, Robert is passionate about preserving the Second Amendment for future generations. He believes our right to keep and bear arms is the cornerstone of all other liberties and often says it “should have been the First Amendment—and written like it was being taught to a four-year-old.” Seeing the growing threat of anti-gun legislation, Robert chose to step off the sidelines and join the fight to protect the rights of law-abiding citizens.