On Thursday, Safari Club International (SCI) hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the dedication of its Washington, D.C. office as the new Armand and Mary Brachman Advocacy Center. SCI leadership, senior staff, legislators, dignitaries, and partners were in attendance to commemorate the transformation of SCI’s DC office, only steps from the Capitol, into an official “Hunters’ Embassy.”
The Armand and Mary Brachman Advocacy Center will be a nexus for the strategic defense of hunting and sustainable-use conservation as home to SCI’s federal affairs, litigation, conservation, and communications operations.
U.S. Representatives Blake Moore and Ryan Zinke, Canadian Member of Parliament Blaine Caulkins, Mr. and Mrs. Armand and Mary Brachman, SCI President John McLaurin, and SCI and SCIF CEO W. Laird Hamberlin all gave remarks before the ribbon-cutting, heralding the Hunters’ Embassy as essential to furthering the rights and interests of hunters in the U.S. and abroad.
“We are exceedingly grateful to the Brachmans for helping SCI make this purchase possible,” said SCI CEO W. Laird Hamberlin. “The Advocacy Center on Capitol Hill positions SCI within incredible proximity to Congressional decision-makers. Securing this building is a key step in enhancing SCI’s impact on hunting advocacy and protecting the future of hunting writ large.”
SCI President John McLaurin has made it a goal to fully pay off the building. To accomplish that, he challenges every SCI member to donate towards the purchase.
“SCI needs to be where the battle for our values is taking place – on Capitol Hill,” said McLaurin. “This is an opportunity for every SCI member to ensure the future of hunting. We created the Advocacy Center to defend you.”
“The pressure is on to save our hunting rights, and purchasing this building has allowed our team to reinvigorate our advocacy efforts and fully align this strategically located asset with SCI’s broader goals,” said SCI Executive Vice President for International Government and Public Affairs Ben Cassidy. “Thanks to Armand and Mary Brachman’s steadfast and generous support, SCI will always be First for Hunters.”
Background:
SCI purchased the building from the SCI Foundation (SCIF) in early 2023 with the support of a generous contribution from the Brachmans. Armand and Mary Brachman were named SCI Members of the Year at the February 2023 Board of Directors meeting, held during the SCI Convention in Nashville, for their ongoing support of hunting and unparalleled generosity to SCI missions.
When announcing their donation for the purchase, Armand Brachman said the increasing anti-hunting pressure on the US Congress makes SCI’s advocacy mission more critical than ever, and he wanted to be part of ensconcing SCI on the frontlines of federal government relations in Washington, D.C.
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