Board of Directors

Gerald O’Keefe (Chairman) joined the CMP Board of Directors in September 2019 and was appointed as the CEO and Chairman of the Board in September 2022. Prior to his time in the CMP, Jerry spent 27 years on active duty in the United States Army retiring in 2008 as a Colonel. After concluding his military service, he continued to serve in Army Senior Executive Service (SES) civilian positions, including tours as the Army Materiel Command G-5 and Deputy G-3/5 and from 2013-2018 as the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. In this latter position, Jerry was a Principal Official of Headquarters, Department of the Army and the senior career civilian in the Army. Jerry holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Military Academy, a dual Master of Engineering in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering from Penn State University and a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University, Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer.

Carmen Allegra M.D. (Vice Chairman) is an emeritus professor at the University of Florida Department of Medicine. He has spent more than 40 years caring for and developing new therapeutics for patients with cancer. Dr. Allegra knows the CMP well, as a longtime volunteer, collector and marksman, and is pleased to have been selected to serve on the CMP board.

Lieutenant General Gary H. Cheek, US Army (Retired), (Treasurer) is a 38-year veteran of the United States Army. His notable Army assignments included Director of the Army Staff in the Pentagon, Deputy Commanding General, US Army Central Command, and as a brigade commander in Afghanistan. After his Army career, General Cheek served as the inaugural Director of the Bass Military Scholars Program at Vanderbilt University. General Cheek is a graduate of the United States Military Academy, the School of Advanced Military Studies, the Army War College, and the US Army Airborne and Ranger schools. The Civilian Marksmanship Program focus on youth was a natural connection for General Cheek and he is honored to serve on the Board of Directors.

Launi Meili (Secretary) is the head coach of the Air Force Academy’s rifle program, where she has led the Falcons to eight straight appearances in the NCAA National Championships, with 30 team members earning All-American honors in smallbore and air rifle events. She shot for USA Shooting for 10 years, participating in two Olympic Games, two PanAm Games and a World Championship. She produced three world records, three Olympic records, a world team championship and won the Olympic Gold Medal in Barcelona in 1992, becoming the first American woman ever to win gold in smallbore. She is a seven-time national champion in 3P rifle. She has authored Rifle: Steps to Success, a how-to book for shooters, available on Amazon. Mrs. Meili is honored to serve on the board of the CMP, which she says is THE quality organization in marksmanship and safety training.

Mark Averill was a member of the Army’s Senior Executive Service for over 15 years and was appointed as Acting Secretary of the Army in January 2025.  In this role, he provided strategic leadership and oversight for the Army’s core Title 10 functions that include “Organize, Train, and Equip,” while also guiding personnel and resource management allocation decisions, policy formulation, and development of programs consistent with national security objectives and policies established by the President.

Prior to his appointment as Acting Secretary, Averill served as the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army, both as a Principal Official of Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA) and the Senior Career Civilian in the Army.  In this capacity he was responsible for advising the Secretary of the Army and providing direct support to HQDA organizations and enterprise level services to Army-wide Commands.

Before his appointment to the Senior Executive Service, Averill served for over 27 years on Active Duty in the Army, retiring at the rank of Colonel.

Other senior positions he has held include:

• Deputy Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army
• Executive Director of the U.S. Army Resources and Programs Agency in HQDA
• Director of Resource Management, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics
• Director of Force Projection and Distribution, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics
• Chief of the Army Requirements and Resourcing Board, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans

Averill holds a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the Marine Corps University (Quantico, Va.), and a Bachelor of Science from the United States Military Academy (West Point, N.Y.). Additionally, he is a graduate of the Marine Corps War College, the Marine Corps School of Advanced Warfighting and the Marine Corps Command and Staff College.

John Carson is the former President and Vice Chairman of Raymond James Financial. Before stepping down in 2022, he served on the firm’s Executive Committee, and as head of the Fixed Income, Public Finance, Corporate Development and Strategic Accounts divisions. Mr. Carson joined Raymond James in April 2012 when Morgan Keegan was acquired by Raymond James. He joined Morgan Keegan in the fixed income department in 1994 and became CEO of Morgan Keegan & Company in 2008. He served on the ALCO and Management committees of Regions Financial Corporation from 2007 to 2012.

Mr. Carson began his career at Chase Manhattan Bank in New York and in Caracas, Venezuela, where he focused on correspondent banking and currency arbitrage. He subsequently joined Morgan Stanley & Co., where he traded repo, U.S. agency debt, and mortgage-backed securities in New York and Tokyo. Originally from La Jolla, California, Mr. Carson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dartmouth College, with a double major in International Economics and History, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He and his wife, Suki, have four sons.

Regina Chavis has over thirty years of experience in public accounting and the nonprofit industry. As the Chief Financial Officer at the Military Officers Association of America she believes in the motto of “never stop serving”, which she has done throughout her career, not only for veterans and their families but the communities she has lived in all over the world. She is the child and surviving spouse of United States Air Force Retirees. She is a CPA and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Walsh College in Troy, Michigan. She has enjoyed the opportunity to travel the globe, from the time she was born in Germany to the time her spouse retired in the Washington DC area. “Aim High…Fly-Fight-Win”

Lieutenant General (Retired) Charles Hooper, U.S. Army, has over 40 years of experience in security policy, strategic intelligence, and foreign military sales. A fluent Chinese linguist with substantial time spent in China, he is considered an expert on the Chinese military. His notable assignments include U.S. Defense Attaché in China and Egypt, and Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. He holds degrees from the United States Military Academy and Harvard University, where he also received a certificate in Chinese Language and Literature. Currently, he is a Senior Counselor with The Cohen Group and serves on various boards and councils.

Mark House is a 1980 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, Mark House is the Director of Strategic Projects of The Beck Group, an architecture company, and works as a senior partner to pursue and manage unique projects – directly responsible for over $1B in architecture and construction in Florida and the Caribbean.

Holding a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering, House served more than five years on active duty in the military, reaching Master Parachutist and Ranger qualifications. Upon leaving the military in 1985, he began his commercial construction career in Tampa, Florida. In 1989, he started a specialty contracting company providing general construction services and commercial floor coverings to hospitals, schools and office buildings. The company grew rapidly and was listed in Inc. Magazine’s “500 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America,” among other accolades. In 1996, Mark sold the company and remained as President of the Tampa office until 1999, when he joined The Beck Group. Outside of the CMP, House has held several other Board positions including at West Point and Tampa-area establishments.

Ed Newell is employed by the Wyoming Judicial Branch. He spent twenty-five years as a prosecutor in Fremont County and Sweetwater County, Wyoming. His prosecutorial career included many murder cases, including two capital cases. He enjoys officiating high school soccer competitions and shooting rifle and handgun competitions. He holds a B.A. degree from the University of Iowa and a J.D. from the University of Wyoming.