SLOFAST Board members Mike Gerson and Bob Brennen announce the SLO rifle range will reopen Friday, February 27 from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Picture by Judy Salamacha
Foremost, Mike Gerson is a family man. He and wife Bridgette live in Morro Bay and enjoy being involved with whatever their children, Hayden, 17, and Myla, 10, might be focused on as they grow towards adulthood. But his concept of family also extends to those in his various chosen business and community affiliations. When Mike decides to get involved you can count on him being all-in.
For example, his latest undertaking has been working with passionate board members and volunteers to reopen the gun range on Hwy 1 just south of Morro Bay. Historically, the practice range was a training facility for Army and Marines during World War II. The new nonprofit is called San Luis Obispo Firearm and Safety Training (SLOFAST – for more details contact INFO@SLOFAST.ORG) As of Friday, February 27, the rifle range will reopen for public use. Opening day is 9 a.m. – 9 p.m., while typically open hours are 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. except Tuesday and Wednesday which are closed. But how did Mike ultimately elect to become one of the five board members to rescue this facility for area recreational shooters?
First, it was family that first brought him to live and work out of Morro Bay 20 years ago. In January 2006, his Uncle Chuck Gerson encouraged him to relocate and understudy for the ownership position at his Central Coast based pet supply distribution company.
“After four years Uncle Chuck asked if I wanted to buy the company so he could spend his retirement traveling.” Mike continues to build his own team at General Distributing & Sales Co., Inc. He notes pet flea and tick products are the mail order company’s most popular products. Distribution is national encompassing local as well as anywhere from New York to Hawaii.
A Morro Bay 4th of July Fireworks display he attended with his family sparked the next company he developed. Skylighter, Inc. retails fireworks products, but his real interest was producing fireworks displays especially for communities. “Seventeen years ago,” Mike said, “I was feeling particularly patriotic that night. I decided I wanted to learn the business and see how I could provide fireworks shows for others so they might experience the same feelings.”
Again, it required he adopt the role of understudy working for licensed fireworks showmen to learn the trade. He helped set up shows in various areas, mostly Idaho and Southern California. After five years of traveling, he got his license as an independent contractor and is currently the operator for the Pismo Beach 4th of July fireworks display.
“Every year I get fired up again. We set up and tear down the shows in a day, but for weeks before it takes time to get permits and design the shows. I finally got tired of being away from my own family on 4th of July, so I gave up traveling and plan to focus on the Pismo show here at home.”
In between operating his bread-and-butter distributing companies and his creative time designing fireworks shows, his family had invested in rental properties that needed managing. He learned it was important to “to keep a pulse on the marketplace,” so he studied and tested for his real estate license. He is currently licensed with Comet Realty in Morro Bay.
He quickly realized his venture into real estate demanded he network to broaden his community associates. Good friend, Tom Hay, owner of Hay Printing since 1980, suggested if he wanted to be more involved in the Morro Bay community, he might consider joining Morro Bay Rotary Club. Once Tom took him to a Rotary meeting, he knew he’d found another family. Tom became his sponsor.
Rotary leadership often alludes to the “gift of Rotary.” Mike explained, “For me I have learned to build a stronger team at work so I could feel comfortable delegating responsibilities to my staff and spend more time involved in community activities.”
Again, mentorship was his guide when Rotary Past President Dan Costley passed on his chairmanship for Rotary’s quarterly barbeques. For two years he led and marketed the drive-through fund raiser based out of Mayor Carla Wixom’s parking lot on Beach Street in front of Carla’s Country Kitchen.
Mike continues to be part of the Rotary BBQ team and is quick to promote that on March 25 he’ll be barbecuing locally sourced premium Tri-Tip while Mayor Carla, also a Rotarian, “donates all the fixings.” Tickets are currently on sale at www.morrobayrotary.org for the fund raiser.
It was soon after October 2025, when it was announced a leadership group was forming to reopen the gun range, Mike volunteered to become one of the five board members. Lou Salceda is president, Nick Young, secretary, Bob Brennen treasurer and Lorin Wingfield and Mike are executive advisors.
Mike flashbacked to growing up in Huntington Beach, “My interest (in SLOFAST) may be from when I enjoyed collecting bullet shells with my dad at the fairgrounds after cowboy shows. I’ve always been a Second Amendment supporter, so when I heard the gun range on Hwy 1 was closing and looking for new operators to reopen, I was interested in checking it out. It was John Solu (a Rotary past president) who convinced me to see what was going on. It might have been his joke or a final prod when John said, ‘I’ll do it with you.’ I picked up the 60-page application and toured the facility. Since there were several others interested in refurbishing and reopening it, John gets a pass and I joined the board.”
The land is officially owned by the California Department of Fish & Wildlife. The plan is to open in phases – first the rifle range, then pistol range followed by the archery range.
“It has always had great community support from the department and the community. Once it was announced,” Mike continued, “our group started working to reopen it. We’ve received lots of donated help.”
Besides necessary funds for essentials, donations have included loans of equipment and help with weed spraying. “At least 30 guys have been out there helping with clean-up every Tuesday.” He encourages volunteers to come out to help paint targets, with roofing, pick up ammunition lead embedded in the dirt, etc. “We plan to build a bridge to the archery range and need help. And our equipment needs repairing like the quads we need to get around the property.”
The California Department Fish & Wildlife oversees SLOFAST, a nonprofit, to ensure the ‘shooting range operates at the highest standards of safety, professionalism and transparency’ and department rangers offer hunter education classes. Area law enforcement groups rent the facility for correctional officer and law enforcement gun training. The education hall is also available for the public to rent for special events. For example, Gals with Guns Women’s Shooting Group meets there regularly.
Mike, looking out over the green hills of his newest venture, invites all to come out during the next few months to check out their operation. “The scenery alone has one of the best views of our county’s green grassy hillsides.”
