AKTI Board of Regent members are actively involved in the direction and programs of the organization. They contribute personal time, expenses attending meetings, and resources from their companies. The Board of Regents meets four times a year, and board members serve as the chairs on AKTI committees that hold monthly conference meetings.
AKTI President
Mark Schreiber
President, Columbia River Knife & Tool Co.
CRKT is proud to support AKTI and the common sense, collaborative approach that it uses to advance knife law reforms, promote the use of knives as tools, and educate the entire knife and tool community.
CRKT has been a Board of Regents member since 2009 and strongly believes in AKTI’s mission to ensure that Americans will always be able to make, buy, sell, own, carry, and use knives and edged tools. Born in Oregon in 1994, CRKT is an American company that for more than 25 years has put innovation and integrity first, making a commitment to build products that inspire and endure.
AKTI Vice President
John Sullivan
Director of Compliance, W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Company and Zippo Manufacturing Company
John Sullivan, Director of Marketing at W.R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. in Bradford, PA, has been involved in the knife industry for 20 years and served on the AKTI Board since 2012. John says “AKTI is vitally important to the industry, given the current political and economic pressures that face all of us as knife manufacturers. Their good work allows a company like W.R. Case & Sons to remain a leader of hand-crafted traditional folding knives, fixed blades, and collectibles for well over a century.” He added that consumers are just as passionate about the work AKTI does in defending their legal rights as U.S. citizens to own and carry such knives.
Matt Kinamore
Senior Director of Brand Management & Marketing, AOB Products Company
Matt Kinamore heads up the company’s Brand Management and Marketing teams. He is also a leader in the product development process where AOB creates the most innovative and market-leading products for the rugged outdoor enthusiast. Across nearly every outdoor category, AOB focuses on delivering a best-in-class experience with every brand and product in the portfolio. Kinamore commented, “At American Outdoor Brands, our passion for the knife industry is demonstrated through the unique offerings from each of our heritage brands. We are blessed with the opportunity to manage several of the industry’s most respected, legacy knife and tool brands, including Schrade, Uncle Henry, Old Timer, Imperial, Smith & Wesson, M&P, and Bubba. We are proud to support AKTI, a group focused on helping build a secure future for knife and tool manufacturers as well as the American consumers who purchase them.”
Jon deAsis
President & CEO, Benchmade Knife Company
Chas Fisher
General Manager, Boker USA
CJ Buck (Co-Founder of AKTI)
CEO, Buck Knives
Will Steinberg
Product Director
Gerber
Gerber’s unwavering support of the AKTI reflects our commitment to serving knife and tool consumers, as well as the greater industry through communication, collaboration, and community. Gerber has been an AKTI Board of Regents member since 1998. Featuring a diverse portfolio of activity-specific knives, multi-tools, and problem-solving gear for recreational and professional end-users, Gerber is based in Portland, Oregon.
Tom Rucci
VP of Engineering & Project Management
GSM Outdoors
Jan Billeb
AKTI Executive Director (Ex-Officio)
Daniel C. Lawson
Attorney and Knife Expert
In Memory
Les de Asis (Co-Founder of AKTI)
Chairman, Benchmade Knife Company
We greatly miss his input and support at AKTI. Les de Asis – A Great Loss