board of directors & Officers

Executive Director / President

John H. Fischer - Quartermaster-Adjutant of VFW Post 3608 in Blanchard, OK. Oklahoma VFW District 10 Commander. All-State Post and District Quartermaster in 2018-2019. Member of the Oklahoma VFW state budget & finance committee. 20+ Years experience working as an accountant for and operations manager of a real estate investment company with over $25 million in assets. Serves as the Trustee of a charitable real estate trust.

Assistant Executive Director

James Bassett - Current Senior Vice-Commander for the Department of Oklahoma VFW. (BIO COMING SOON)

Secretary-Treasurer

Curtis A. Watts - Current Quartermaster-Adjutant for the Department of Oklahoma VFW. Past Post Commander. Multiple appointments to National VFW Committees. Former chairman of the Oklahoma VFW State Riders Group. Over 5 years experience as a project manager for an international corporation.

Vice-President

Curtis O. "Doc" Bohlman - Extensive experience with the VFW organization, including service as a national officer (VFW Surgeon General and National Committee Chairman). Awarded the "Mr. VFW" designation for Oklahoma. All-American VFW Post Commander and past Captain of the All-State Team of Post Commanders. All-American VFW District Commander and past Captain of the All-State Team of District Commanders. 6 Years as a Trustee for the VFW National Home for Children. Formerly served as a Commissioner for the Oklahoma War Veterans Commission.

Board Members Elected by Oklahoma VFW Membership

Michael L. Merit - Current Commander of the Department of Oklahoma VFW. Has also held the state office of State Surgeon and has served as a National VFW Aide de Camp. Served as a Commander at the Post and at the District level. Also served as a Quartermaster at the Post and District Level. Awarded All-State Post Quartermaster, All-State District Quartermaster, and All-American Post Quartermaster.

James Bassett - Current Senior Vice-Commander of the Department of Oklahoma VFW. (BIO COMING SOON)

Jeremy Owen - Current Junior Vice-Commander of the Department of Oklahoma VFW. (BIO COMING SOON)

Curtis A. Watts - Current Quartermaster-Adjutant of the Department of Oklahoma VFW (see info above on Secretary-Treasurer)

Curtis O. "Doc" Bohlman - Membership-Elected Board Member, term ending June 2021 (see info above on Vice-President)

Appointed Board Members

Robert McGill - Term Ending June 2021. Former Commander of the Department of Oklahoma VFW. Has held Oklahoma State offices including Chief of Staff and Judge Advocate. Long-Time member of the State of Oklahoma VFW Budget & Finance Committee. Selected to serve on National VFW Committees seven times, including committees for Veterans' Care and for Finance and Internal Organization. Member of the Military Order of the Cootie including two-time Grand Commander for Oklahoma. Has been awarded the Oklahoma "Mr. VFW" designation. Also oversaw the budget for the Detective Division of the City of Altus Police Department.

John H. Fischer - Term Ending June 2022 (see info above on Executive Director)

Weydon Flax - Term Ending June 2023 (BIO COMING SOON)

John Paine - Term Ending June 2024 (BIO COMING SOON)

How Are Oklahoma VFW Foundation Board Members Chosen?

The Board of Directors of the Oklahoma VFW Foundation consist of nine members. Of these, five are directly elected by the Department of Oklahoma Veterans of Foreign Wars Membership. The elected positions of Department Commander, Senior-Vice Commander, Junior-Vice Commander and Quartermaster serve on the Foundation's board during their term of office. In odd-numbered years, the membership will elect a Foundation board member to serve a 2-year term.

Those five elected Board members will then choose the other four members of the Board. These Board members, when chosen, will serve a 4-year term with only one term coming up for renewal each year. These selected Board members are not required to be members of the Veteran's of Foreign Wars.

The Foundation Board is lead by a President, who is elected by the Board at their first meeting of a Fiscal Year who will serve a 1-Year Term. The Board also elects a Vice-President. The Secretary-Treasurer of the Foundation is the Board member who is the current Department of Oklahoma VFW Quartermaster.

The day-to-day operations of the Oklahoma VFW Foundation is managed by an Executive Director, and assisted by an Assistant Executive Director. These two positions are appointed by, directed by and answer to the Board. These two positions are not Board member positions (however, members of the Board may hold either of these positions).

Oklahoma Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation