Josh McFarland, Chairman
Josh is the General Contractor, Owner/Vice President of Red Dog Construction, LLC, which is a leader in
design build and general contracting in the commercial retail, office, restaurant, medical, education and
industrial sectors. He has successfully managed over $60 Million projects in his 16-year career and has
consistently met clients’ goals in a wide variety of construction projects.
Josh passionately volunteers his time and energy to several organizations in the community. He has led
several projects for Soldier’s Wish recipients, including wheelchair ramps and home remodels. He also
general contracted the rehabilitation of the American Legion Post One building in Tulsa, OK. Josh also
serves on the Oklahoma Board of Education Technology Trust Board. He was the Founder of the Tulsa
Christmas Parade and the Jenks Youth Flag Football League, and he coaches little league baseball.
Josh is married to Gini McFarland and they have two children, Presley and Parker. Josh has served on
the Soldier’s Wish board since 2018.
Mark Tedford, Vice Chairman
Mark Tedford is the owner and CEO of Tedford Insurance, founded in 1978 by George and Kay Tedford,
where he leads a team of over 60 employees.
Mark received his bachelor’s degree from Missouri Southern University and worked part-time at the
agency as he earned his MBA from the University of Tulsa. He specializes in the Energy and Industrial
industry.
Mark is passionate about protecting the dreams of his clients and understands what is at stake for a
business owner. Tedford Insurance was the recipient of the 2016 DREAM BIG Blue Ribbon Small
Business Award, and Mark was personally awarded the Independent Insurance Agents of Oklahoma
“2018 Agent of the Year”. He was selected for this prestigious award by his peers in the industry.
Mark has a passion for giving back to the communities that have richly fueled the growth of his family’s
business throughout the decades. He is married to Kristin Tedford and they have four children, Lauren,
Landon, Lathan, and Lanning. Mark has served on the Soldier’s Wish board since 2017.
Adam Baker, President
Adam is the Tulsa Market President for Stride Bank, a $1 Billion asset-sized bank with offices throughout
Oklahoma. He also oversees the Bank’s commercial real estate lending.
Prior to joining Stride in 2008, Adam managed the credit department and construction loan
administration for a $1.2B asset-sized bank located in Chicago, IL. From 2000 to 2003, he was the
regional credit analyst for US Bank’s correspondent lending department based in Kansas City, MO.
Adam earned a Bachelor of Arts in Letters from the University of Oklahoma and later an MBA in finance
and accounting from American University in Washington, DC.
Adam lives in Tulsa, OK with his wife Elissa, a son, a daughter, and dog Charlie. He enjoys hunting,
skiing, travel, history, Oklahoma Sooner football, and playing clawhammer banjo. Adam has served on
the Soldier’s Wish board since 2013.
Kevin Burr, Treasurer
Kevin is the owner of Barracuda Staffing, Barracuda Consulting, and Red River Payroll and has built the
companies on the principles of building relationships on every level.
Kevin’s main objective, whether it is with his clients, applicants or staff, is to put people in the right
position to succeed. The staffing company under his direction has had substantial growth year over year
and has been twice been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing privately held
companies in America. Kevin is motivated to perform no more than his best and feels he is here to serve
the community. He is an active member on the boards of Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Soldier’s Wish and
the Tulsa Christmas Parade.
Kevin lives in Tulsa, OK with his wife Sandy, and their two children. They enjoy watching their children
compete in sports and in life, and they aspire to see the world. Kevin has served on the Soldier’s Wish
board since 2018.
James W. Shepherd, Secretary
James is an attorney at Ezzell & Shepherd PLLC in Enid, Oklahoma. He has been practicing law for more
than 15 years.
James earned a Bachelor of Arts in Letters from the University of Oklahoma in 1998 and later an MBA
from the Michael F. Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma. He obtained his Juris
Doctorate in 2003 from Oklahoma City University, where he was a member of Phi Delta Phi legal
fraternity and a merit scholarship recipient. He was admitted to practice law in the State of Oklahoma
the same year. After being admitted to the bar in 2003, James worked in Oklahoma City for three years
before returning to Enid in 2006.
James Shepherd has had the pleasure to serve on numerous boards of local organizations, including the
Board of Directors for the Enid Chamber of Commerce, Hospice Circle of Love, the Cherokee Strip
Regional Heritage Center, the Grand National Quail Club, and Oakwood Country Club.
James lives in Enid, OK with his wife Molly and their four children. James has served on the Soldier’s
Wish since 2019.
Donald “Joe” Watt, Board Member
Known to his friends as, Joe, Donald Watt is the retired owner of Joe Watt Auto Sales Inc, and has more
than 35 years of purchasing, sales and marketing experience in the automotive industry.
After working for several new car dealerships and winning many excellence awards, Joe successfully
opened his own car dealership in Oklahoma 25 years ago. What started as a small used car dealership
open to the public, evolved into a large dealership specifically marketing law enforcement vehicles all
over the United States.
Joe moved to South Florida in 2013, and he continues to maintain strong ties to Oklahoma. He has
participated in granting wishes in the South Florida area and has distributed Soldier’s Wish materials at
VFW’s and during ceremonies at memorial parks. Joe has served on the Soldier’s Wish board since 2013.