Retired US Army Command Sergeant Major Ted Lidie is the Founder and Chief Instructor at Northern Firearms Instruction. Founded in 2007, Northern Firearms Instruction is the largest firearms training organization in the State of California, teaching safe and responsible firearms use to over 3,000 Californians each year. Ted Spent 21 years in the US Army, retiring as a Command Sergeant Major in 2006. Ted was a leader of combat soldiers and has witnessed first-hand the debilitating psychological and physical long-term effects that combat service has on our veterans.

Ted is a Director at the Redding Gun Club, National Wild Turkey Federation Volunteer, and member of VFW post 1934. Ted is a multi-disciplined NRA Training Counselor, USCCA Training Counselor, Glock Armorer, Glock Certified Instructor Development Graduate, California Department of Justice Firearms Instructor, and California Hunter’s Education Instructor. When he’s not teaching safe and responsible firearms use, Ted enjoys playing roller hockey with his friends, hunting, and spending time with his lovely wife, Lisa LeBlanc Lidie.

Seth Stout is the Student Services Director for Northern Firearms Instruction. Seth is committed to servicing student needs and is a Senior Instructor teaching in various counties. Seth originally joined the NFI team in 2019 and has trained with Chief Instructor Ted Lidie for the last 15 years. Seth is a credentialed NRA Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, and CCW instructor, as well as a Chief Range Safety Officer. Seth is also a California Department of Justice Firearms Instructor Instructor. When not working as an NFI instructor, he is the Range Officer at the Redding Gun Club. Seth is married to his childhood sweetheart Rychelle, and together they enjoy spending time together in the outdoors.

Jen O’Hara is a CA DOJ and NRA Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun and CCW Instructor and serves as the Tehama County Director of Training for NFI. She teaches and lives locally in Tehama County.Jen is proud to provide her students with NRA Basic Pistol, Shotgun and Rifle training which teaches new shooters how to be safe and confident with their firearm. She also loves teaching men and women how to defend themselves with NFI’s CCW Initial and Renewal classes. Jen is also passionate about teaching students to draw their firearm from concealment in a defensive holster training class called Step II.

Jen is the Co-Founder of the iconic outdoor fashion line, Girls with Guns Clothing® (GWG). Founded in 2009, GWG provides women with outdoor gear such as hunting, range, casual and concealed carry apparel. GWG also has a complete line of shooting accessories. It can be found at www.gwgclothing.com or at your local Sportsman’s Warehouse or Scheels.

Jen’s life is filled with being an advocate for the 2 nd Amendment. She works closely with the California Rifle & Pistol Association providing content for them and she is the lead firearms Instructor and a Hunter Ed Instructor for Kids Outdoor Sports Camp (a non-profit teaching kids to get outdoors and use firearms safely). Jen has a digital series called LIVinOutdoors which airs on CarbonTV following her journey as a mom, homesteader, hunter and firearms instructor. She has successfully hunted in 11 different countries around the world.

Jen’s has been a Brand Ambassador for Ruger Firearms since 2014. She loves sharing Ruger’s latest and greatest firearms with everyone she comes into contact with. She is a self-proclaimed “gun geek” who is passionate about the outdoors and her 2 nd Amendment life. Jen feels that her greatest accomplishment in life, is being a mom to her two beautiful girls Olivia and Chloe. She plans to continue to fight for our 2 nd Amendment Right in California and fight for what she represents in the outdoors industry for the next generation of firearms owners!

You can follow Jen’s journey on her Instagram and Facebook pages. @gwgjen & Jen O’Hara – Girls with Guns Clothing

I was born in Australia. I have 17 grand and 3 great grandchildren. Joined US Navy in Feb. 1971. I have had my CCW permit since 1998. Been with NFI since 2012.

Account Executive for Delta Defense. (USCCA)

Board of Directors for Redding Gun Club and Weaverville Rod and Gun Club.

NRA Life Member and recruiter, CRPA Life Member.

NFI Instructor since 2012. Ted Ogilvie is the Senior Range Officer and Instructor at Northern Firearms Instruction, teaching in various locations in Northern California. Ted is a former Marine and you can really tell he has learned his skills in one of our Nation’s finest fighting forces!

Ted joined the NFI staff in 2012 after he completed an advanced CCW course with NFI and was awarded our “TOP SHOT” award. Of course, Chief Instructor Ted Lidie asked him to try out as an Assistant Instructor. Ted agreed and began his formal training and joined the staff shortly thereafter. Soon it was clear that Ted was a skilled instructor, and he would soon be teaching his own classes right alongside some of NFI’s most seasoned veteran instructors.

Ted owns his own business as a core driller and is married to his wife Carolyn. Together they raised their son Teddy, who also served as an NFI Instructor (beginning at 15-years old!) before he went off to college. Ted and Carolyn make the rounds to community events and travel back and forth to Montana where his parents retired.

Bryan Rheem is a CA DOJ and NRA Pistol, Rifle, Shotgun and CCW Instructor and serves as a Senior Instructor with NFI. With NFI, Bryan teaches CCW but primarily focuses on the advanced skills beyond initial CCW, pistol, rifle and shotgun classes. He is passionate about helping students develop the knowledge and skills required to safely, effectively and efficiently put their self-defense firearms to use. Bryan helped develop the Step II curriculum (drawing a firearm from concealment) as well as the Step III curriculum which allows the students to take their foundational skills and apply them in real-world realistic situations. Bryan also teaches the AR15 Intro and Level 1 course and has developed a home defense shotgun course. He is constantly thinking about what skills students need to survive real-world life critical incidents, and create curriculum to meet those needs.

Outside of the 2A, Bryan is also passionate about business. He is a seasoned entrepreneur and business consultant with over 25 years of professional experience. After graduating from Duke University in 1997 with a Mechanical Engineering degree, he immediately joined the internet technology boom, working for a global Fortune 500 company. Since then, Bryan has worked in both the public and private sectors, starting several businesses and consulting to a wide variety of clients and industries, from large federal departments to small start up companies, even including a start-up federal department. His experience ranges from business development through project and operations management. Bryan’s passion is helping individuals and organizations maximize their potential based on their current staff and resources, and developing strategic plans to help achieve short and long term goals. His vision is to see organizations create a thriving culture as they reach great success.

Bryan is married with three kids, lives in Redding and loves the opportunity to do every outdoor related activity: hiking, biking, camping, snowboarding and waterfall hunting. His favorite pastime is hanging with family & friends, eating great food (esp. Korean) and talking about conspiracy theories.

Emily has been shooting firearms for over 30 years. Emily has been teaching structured firearms safety courses and CCW courses since 2020. Emily Booth is an NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Pistol, Basic Rifle, & CA CCW. Emily is also an approved CA DOJ instructor and a USCCA CCW Instructor. She is passionate about helping people learn how to safely and responsibly handle all firearms, and she takes pride in providing her students with the knowledge and skills they need to be confident and competent shooters. While Emily enjoys teaching co-ed classes, she is passionate about teaching fellow women to safely and confidently use their firearms for self-protection, as well as empowering fellow 2A advocates. Emily is a proud member of the USCCA and the Redding Gun Club.

Emily is patient and always willing to go the extra mile to help her students succeed. In her free time, Emily enjoys volunteering at her local church, camping with her family, crafting and sharing all things essential oil related.

Stephen Kim is a seasoned firearms instructor with a passion for promoting responsible gun ownership and proficiency in the safe use of firearms. His journey into the world of firearms training began with a strong commitment to personal safety and a desire to help others achieve the same level of confidence and competence.

Stephen received training from some of the most renowned firearms training facilities such as Frontsight and Gun Sight. In addition, he also sought out top-tier instruction from competition shooters to develop his defensive shooting techniques and marksmanship. Some might consider him a “gun school junky” spending up to 2 weeks per year in training classes; while others would say he’s an advocate for continuing education. Most recently, he completed the 3 day - Red Dot and AIWB performance training class w/ Modern Samurai Project.

Moreover, Stephen brings 20 years of business acumen as a management consultant and trainer to Northern Firearms instruction and is instrumental with developing the curriculum and standards for NFI. Stephen is deeply committed to education and safety. He has a proven track record of working with individuals from various backgrounds and skill levels, helping them develop the necessary skills to safely and effectively use firearms for self-defense or sport.

I shot my first gun about the age of 12 and I have been in love ever since. I grew up shooting guns in the mountains of Washington state. I was lucky enough to have someone teach me correctly early on. I began hunting shortly after that. I joined the military right after high school and that’s when my gun education really took off. I spent 15 years in the Military. While in the Military I was blessed with three children, all of which I taught to shoot. Over the years I have taught my kids friends, my friends and some of their wives and a whole litany of people to shoot. The Military had me shooting revolvers, semi auto’s, shotguns, 249’s, M-60’s, M-16, M4, LAW rockets, grenade launchers, mortar rounds, 90mm recoilless rifles…What fun. I was the guy you went to if you failed to qualify with one of your weapons.

While in the military, I never failed to qualify as an expert shooter. I was also lucky enough to go to a multi gun shooting contest and using the Berretta M9 (92F) I took first in the handgun portion of the contest. I spent about 10 years in Law Enforcement. While in Law Enforcement I was able to earn extra pay for maintaining my shooting skill at an expert level. I was even asked by a SWAT LT. if I would show the team some different techniques for shooting. After leaving both the Military and Law Enforcement, I still wanted to pass on my knowledge of shooting to more people. I took a class with NFI for my CCW and heard about a teaching class offered by NFI and took it. Lucky for me it was taught by the man who brought me into NFI where I am continuing my desire to teach about guns and gun safety to others. My hope is to nurture the tradition and desire of safe gun handling, marksmanship, and education.

Paul Robins is a Senior NFI Instructor working in Placer and Sacramento Counties, and serving adjacent Northern California counties. Paul was an instructor at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute in Nevada before joining the team at NFI. He is a Certified DOJ Firearms Instructor and a Certified NRA Pistol Instructor, CCW Instructor, and Range Safety Officer. Paul’s wife, Bridget, is also an NRA Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer and often joins him for his classes. Their 45 year marriage has blessed them with wonderful daughters, sons-in-law, and five grandkids. When not on the range, Paul serves on the faculty of Jessup University in Rocklin as the Program Director for the Digital Communication, Art & Design Major.

Kaimana Holokahi has a passion for learning and teaching others new skills, which led him to become an instructor for NFI. He believes people must be equipped to protect themselves safely, effectively, and responsibly. In addition to being a firearms safety instructor, he is certified as a California CCW and NRA Pistol Instructor.

He grew up in Hawaii, where he spent sunrise to sunset surfing and paddling on its beaches.

Outside of being an instructor, he is a master diagnostic technician and automotive locksmith. And although he likes to solve car problems, he finds racing them much more fun. He loves spending time with his wife and two daughters.

NFI Instructor since 2023. I am passionate about my role and committed to continuous learning.

With over 30 years of experience as a football and baseball/softball coach, I have consistently embraced the role of mentor and coach. My background includes not only guiding my own children in sports and hunting but also serving as a crew leader for over 20 years. Throughout my career, I have found great fulfillment in supporting others, refining their skills, and fostering personal growth.

Now retired, I am eager to leverage my extensive experience to assist others in developing their abilities and achieving their full potential through expert-led courses. Mentoring and leadership have been central to my professional journey, and I look forward to continuing to inspire and support others through my work with NFI.

NFI Instructor since 2022. Kraig Kern is a Senior Instructor at Northern Firearms Instruction, teaching at the Redding Gun Club where he is also the General Manager.

Kraig was first introduced to NFI in 2017 when he started working the gun counter at Sportsman's Warehouse. In 2022 Ted asked Kraig to join the NFI team and manage an NFI gun store that he was planning on opening. Shortly after Opening the NFI gun store Ted started Kraig on the path to instructing by putting him through a USCCA CCW instructor class, followed closely by the NRA Basic Pistol and CCW instructor classes, and the California Peace Officer Standards and Training Firearms Instructor Course.

When not teaching or working at the Redding Gun Club, Kraig spends time with his lovely bride Lisa, hiking the trails of Northern California.

NFI Instructor since 2021. Phillip Sheffield is a Senior Instructor at Northern Firearms Instruction, teaching in various counties including Eastern Shasta County where he has assumed duties as the Training Director in Burney California.

Phillip joined the NFI staff in 2021 after he completed a course with NFI and was asked to try out as an assistant instructor. Phillip agreed and began his formal training and joined the staff shortly thereafter. With his already existing firearms experience he was a quick learner and climbed the ladder until in 2023 he taught his first class on his own.

When not working as an NFI instructor, Phillip is raising his beautiful daughters with his childhood sweetheart Megan. Together they enjoy spending time outdoors and teaching their kids gun safety and the fundamentals of shooting.