Rob Young – Executive Director, Gun Owners of California
Rob Young was appointed Executive Director of Gun Owners of California in 2025, following the passing of longtime leader and mentor, Sam Paredes. Rob’s relationship with GOC and Gun Owners of America spans more than a decade— testifying in the State Capitol and in Washington, D.C., working GOC events and standing on the front lines to defend the Second Amendment.
Rob brings both professional expertise and deep personal conviction to this fight. In January 1989, as a first grader at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, he was shot twice during one of the nation’s first high-profile school shootings. While that tragic day claimed the lives of five classmates and wounded dozens more, it also became a defining moment in California’s push for so-called “assault weapon” bans. Rob has never blamed firearms for what happened—instead, his life has been dedicated to ensuring law-abiding Americans have the tools and freedoms to defend themselves and their families.
A retired police sergeant with nearly 20 years of service in Northern California, Rob has firsthand experience confronting violent criminals, including an active-shooter incident where he and his partners stopped the threat. He has trained officers, civilians, and communities nationwide in active-shooter response, tactical medicine, and firearms proficiency, and is a recognized speaker on gun rights, preparedness, and self-defense. Through his media presence and his brand, The Voice of Reason, Rob continues to challenge the narrative that seeks to erode our constitutional freedoms.
As a firm believer of the Second Amendment, Rob is unapologetic in his defense of the right to keep and bear arms. He leads GOC with the same conviction that has guided him throughout his life: freedom must always be protected, and law-abiding Americans must never surrender their rights to those who would take them away.
Rob and his wife, Lisa—also in law enforcement—live in California’s Central Valley. Together they have four children.
GOC is the oldest pro-gun political action committee in the United States of America, having been at the forefront of the battle since assaults on the 2nd Amendment began. GOC functions as a 501(c)4 non-profit and operates exclusively from membership contributions and donations, utilizing funds to actively educate on issues and candidates. Employing a strong, three-pronged approach to beating back the assault on the Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms, GOC is involved in the following:
· Fighting full-time in the legislative halls, serving as a critical resource to policy makers.
· Fighting in the courts – in California and across the nation, having filed amicus briefs in California and other states as well as before the U.S. Supreme Court.
· Fighting at the ballot box – raising money to elect pro-gun candidates and to defeat the bad guys.
