Josh McKee is a steadfast supporter of Stewards of the Wild. In fact, you could say that that he is one of the godfathers of the program.
The idea for Stewards was sparked in a South Texas deer blind back in 2012. Josh and his good friend Mac Macfarlan were spending time together doing what they love, when they began germinating the seed of the idea that would become Stewards of the Wild (SOTW).
They wanted to start a program that would encourage young Texans to get involved in conservation, learn about public lands, and connect with one another through meaningful outdoor experiences.
Macfarlan grew up hiking Palo Duro Canyon with his grandfather, Wales Madden Jr., a respected leader in Texas conservation circles. Madden encouraged the two men to approach Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation (TPWF). TPWF’s leadership knew a good idea when they heard one, and Stewards of the Wild held its first meeting in Dallas in 2013. Today, Stewards of the Wild is TPWF’s successful conservation leadership program, with hundreds of members in chapters around the state.
McKee served in a leadership role for the Dallas Chapter for several years and was one of the first to be selected as a SOTW Board Fellow. The Board Fellows program offers the opportunity for rising conservation leaders in Texas to gain invaluable experience and mentorship in nonprofit management and board governance by serving a term as a non-voting visiting participant on TPWF’s Board of Trustees. The program is an important element of Stewards of the Wild’s ongoing mission to grow the next generation of conservation leaders in Texas.
“That was a great experience for me, and I learned a lot about how Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation engages philanthropists, corporations and everyday citizens in meaningful conservation work across the state,” said Josh.
Josh is in prime-time parenting mode with four kids and has a busy banking career at Veritex Community Bank. He remains actively involved in Stewards of the Wild, though he has ceded the leadership role to others.
“It’s been really fun to see how his next group of leaders has really stepped up and taken Stewards to the next level,” he said. “There are lots of new events and activities, and there’s a ton of momentum and energy to connect and reconnect members across the state.”
One of Stewards’ signature events is the annual All-Stewards Dove Hunt that takes place every fall in Albany. It started in 2014 as an event for Dallas members but has evolved into a statewide event. Josh is fully on board, and his bank is one of the event sponsors.
“We had maybe 30 Stewards members at our first dove hunt, and this year there were 225 attendees,” said Josh. “Every year the event has just gotten bigger and better. It’s a testament to the awareness that Stewards has brought across the state, and the desire that Stewards members have in connecting with other like-minded individuals in Texas.”
Josh also points to the Stewards mentored hunting opportunities as another significant way that the program has had an impact. Though the program was dreamt up in a deer blind, Josh knows that not everyone has access to hunting.
“Stewards of the Wild is providing access for individuals who have not historically had opportunities to experience outdoor activities many of us have enjoyed throughout our lives. Through the Stewards of the Wild mentored hunting opportunities, more young Texans are being exposed to the heritage of hunting and why it matters to the future of conservation in our state.”
As Stewards of the Wild heads into its second decade of engaging the next generation of conservation leaders, Josh is proud to have played a role in its creation.
“Mac and I are still best friends to this day, and we spend a lot of time together outdoors with our families. It’s just been a ton of fun to see how our love for the outdoors has continued to grow, along with the success of Stewards of the Wild. It brings us both a lot of pride and joy. We thought it was a good idea back then, but we certainly didn’t anticipate we would be where we are today.”
