Sean Goins comes from a large military family. Growing up it was always his dream to follow in his parents footsteps and join the Army. Unfortunately after two years his military career ended due to a spinal cord injury. After being medically retired from the Army he went on to earn a Bachelors degree in Accounting from Northeastern State University. With a passion for helping other veterans he joined Soldier’s Wish in 2023 as the Program Outreach Director. He works with companies and organizations all over the United States to facilitate wishes. He tells everyone “Every dollar I can save, is another dollar I can use to help make another veteran’s wish come true.”

When he isn’t working on wishes, he and his wife Mallory are busy raising their four children Lyla, Landon, Logan and Hadley.

Adam Baker is President of the Banking Group for Stride Bank, a $2 Billion asset-sized bank with offices throughout Oklahoma and in Salt Lake City. He oversees the Bank’s commercial and fintech lending, credit, mortgage, and wealth management groups.  Prior to joining Stride in 2008, Adam managed the credit department 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, the Oklahoma Sooners, and playing clawhammer banjo. Adam has served on the Soldier’s Wish board since 2013.

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 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.

Mark Tedford is the owner and CEO of Tedford Insurance with their corporate office located in Jenks, Oklahoma.

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 founded in 1978. 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. Most recently, Tedford Insurance was the recipient of the 2022 Family-Owned Business Award presented by the Tulsa Regional Chamber and the Tulsa Small Business Connection.

Mark has a passion for giving back to the communities that have richly fueled the growth of his family’s business throughout the decades. Mark has served on the Soldier’s Wish board Since 2017. Mark currently serves on the Tulsa Christmas Parade Board, Tulsa Regional Chamber Board of Directors, Triad Bank Board of Directors, and serves on the board for the PMI Green Country HOA.

Mark has always recognized the importance of politics. However, it wasn’t until this year that he had the opportunity to run for Oklahoma House Representative for District #69.  Mark will begin his two-year term in February 2023.

Mark is married to Kristin Tedford, and they have four children, Lauren, Landon, Lathan, and Lanning.

Colonel (retired) Clay Bartels served 25 years in the United States Air Force. He graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1996, flew combat missions in the F-15C and was initial FTU cadre for the F-22 Raptor, which he flew for the remainder of his career. Col Bartels was deployed for a year to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a year in Qatar supporting Operation Freedom Sentinel in Afghanistan and Operation Inherent Resolve in Syria & Iraqi, being on the ground for the final defeat of the ISIS caliphate. His final assignment was as the Vice Wing Commander at the Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Col Bartels is the recipient of the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with 5 Oak Leaf Clusters and the Aerial Achievement Medal. Clay is currently a pilot for American Airlines and when he’s not flying, he’s spending time with his three wonderful children, Sadie, Seth, and Mattie. 

Thomas Devon Laney is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Gradient, an award-winning, not-for-profit entrepreneurial support organization that operates one of America’s largest physical innovation hubs. Located in a restored 115k sqft warehouse in downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gradient has helped generate over $1.2 billion indirect economic impact since 2020. 

Before joining Gradient in 2019, Devon co-founded and served as CEO (and COO) of Innovation Depot in Birmingham, AL for over 14 years, leading the organization to consecutive record-setting years of economic impact and entrepreneurial growth. Prior to joining Innovation Depot, Devon was based out of Atlanta, GA and worked with Accenture LLP on numerous strategic projects at various Fortune 500 companies. Additionally, Devon is an experienced entrepreneur with ventures in the technology and B2B space. 

Devon was selected as one of The Birmingham Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” and has also been recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International. An accomplished speaker, Devon has lectured at conferences in both the U.S. and internationally on entrepreneurial ecosystem development, business incubation, innovation, and the future of work. He has served as the Chair of the International Business Innovation Association and currently serves on the Boards of the Morrow Global Venture Hubs Network and Amplify Louisville. In the Tulsa community, Devon serves on the Boards of i2E, Cortado Ventures, and Soldier’s Wish. 

An Alabama native, Laney holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business, both from The University of Alabama. He also completed studies at the International Business School in the Netherlands and the Young American Leaders Program at Harvard Business School. He currently lives in the Midtown area of Tulsa with his wife, Tara, and their two dogs, Lola and Dottie. Devon enjoys biking, traveling, and taking in live music every chance he gets. 

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.