Your Instructors

Kelly Park

Kelly Park has been a licensed Minnesota Peace Officer since 1997. He is a Minnesota BCA Certified Permit to Carry Instructor, USSCA Certified Instructor and a former member of the Crisis Negotiation Team for the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office.

Originally from the Iron Range in northern Minnesota, Kelly is a lifelong resident of Minnesota and has lived in the Brainerd Lakes area and been in law enforcement for over 27 years. Kelly has been a full-time deputy with the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office for the past 22 years.  He has previously served as a police officer in the cities of Staples, Crosby, Baxter and Cuyuna. Kelly recently retired from Cuyuna, where he served for nearly 23 years. Kelly and his wife, Jill, have three adult children and reside in the Brainerd Lakes area with their two dogs, Bella and Charlie. Kelly will primarily teach the classes in Baxter.

Zach Gowens

Zach Gowens has been a licensed Minnesota Peace Officer since 2019. He is a Certified Permit to Carry Instructor alongside his stepfather Kelly Park.

Although Texas is the home state for Zach, he was raised in the Brainerd Lakes Area for the majority of his life and knows it to be his true home. Zach has been a full time police officer with the Little Falls Police Department for over four years and previously served with the Brainerd Police Department and Sebeka Police Department. Zach is a certified Drug Recognition Evaluator and has made it his career mission to specialize in alcohol and substance related impaired driving interdiction.

Zach and his wife, Ashley, currently reside in Little Falls, with their new baby boy and with their large furry family of three cats and a dog.  Zach will primarily teach the classes in Little Falls.