Kevin McFarland – Founder & President
Hailing from Melba, Idaho, Kevin grew up hunting and fishing with his grandpa where he developed his passion for the great outdoors. After joining the National Guard in 2003, he deployed to combat zones in both Kirkuk and Baghdad, Iraq. After returning home, he discovered that the time he spent outdoors helped him deal with the realities of combat and he sought to help other veterans overcome and deal with the burdens of PTSD the best way he knew how, via the outdoors. It was this realization that led him to co-found Idaho Backcountry Veterans.
Daniel Figini – Vice President
Drawn by the call of the great outdoors, Daniel, an Army Veteran and prior Scout, relocated to Idaho upon his separation from Active Duty in 2016. He takes every opportunity to enjoy the therapeutic benefits of God’s country through hunting, fishing, and shooting. The positive impacts he experienced through outdoor activities led him to join the IBV Team in order to connect with other Veterans and help them have similar experiences and opportunities to make lasting memories that will be cherished for a lifetime.
Daniel@backcountryveterans.org
Carlos Valadez Jr. – Treasurer
A native of Nampa, Idaho, Carlos joined the Marines in 2003 after graduating from Skyview High School. His 13 years in the Corps included multiple combat tours to Iraq and Afghanistan as an AH-1W Plane Captain and UH-1N Huey Crew Chief. Upon separation from the Marines, he joined the Idaho Air National Guard, allowing him to continue to serve while being able to spend more time with his wife and three children. As an IBV member, he uses his extensive knowledge of the local waterways and his skills as an angler to help Veterans find peace through the pursuit of Idaho’s incredible variety of fish.
CvaladezIBV@gmail.com