Wally was born in 1950 and spent a lot of his younger days hiking, fishing, and hunting in the Missouri outdoors.  Growing up in a family with very traditional values, he became an avid shooter early in his life, eventually leading to a very strong interest in handgun shooting and reloading.

A former reserve police officer, Wally became a Missouri State Certified Firearms Safety Instructor in 1993.  He was certified in 1995 by the National Rifle Association in the Pistol and Personal Protection disciplines and has been actively teaching Missouri concealed carry courses since February 2004, placing him amongst the most veteran Missouri concealed carry instructors in the state.  Wally currently holds NRA Certified Instructor and Training Counselor ratings in Pistol, Personal Protection In The Home, and Personal Protection Outside the Home.  In addition, he holds certification as an NRA Certified Chief Range Safety Officer and is an NRA Life Member.  Over the past 20 years, he has successfully provided instruction to well over two thousand students ranging from novice to advanced, and has logged several thousand hours of teaching time.

In 2013, Wally completed an additional thirty plus hours of training and obtained certifications as NRA Rifle Instructor, NRA Shotgun Instructor, Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor, and Shotshell Reloading Instructor as well as Training Counselor ratings in each discipline.

Wally is the presiding President of Armed Missouri, Inc. and oversees many of the day-to-day administrative responsibilities necessary for the operation of the organization.  He is still actively involved in metallic cartridge reloading and is a member of, and regular participant in, a competitive trap-shooting team as well as a defensive pistol shooting league.

Current certifications:

• NRA Pistol
• NRA Rifle
• NRA Shotgun
• NRA Personal Protection In the Home
• NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home
• NRA Range Safety Officer
• NRA Training Counselor
• NRA Chief Range Safety Officer
• NRA Metallic Cartridge Reloading
• NRA Shotshell Reloading
• Missouri Approved Concealed Weapons Instructor
• Certified Glock Armorer

Additional Training Summary:

• Tactical Pistol: Jeff Dill, Gauntlet Professional Services – 2013
• Vehicle Gun Fighting Skills: Steve Collins, Martial Arms Tactical – 2014
• N.A.P.S.I. Essential Defensive Pistol: Nic Shoffner & Chris Shoffner, Armed Missouri, Inc. – 2015
• Adult, Child, & Infant CPR, First Aid, and AED: American Heart Association, 2014 – Present
• Strategos Peacekeepers: Church Security Team Member Instructor, 2024

Professional Affiliations:

• NRA Life Member
• Indoor Range Manager – Gateway Gun Club, Bridgeton, MO