Joshua Badder | Wild Strawberry Lodge
JOSHUA BADDER | CO-OWNER
Joshua Badder was born and raised in a small farming community of just 800 people in south-central Iowa, where a deep appreciation for the outdoors took root early. From fishing and hunting to exploring every corner of the countryside, Joshua spent his youth immersed in nature. Joining the Boy Scouts at a young age proved to be a perfect fit, allowing him to further develop his outdoor skills and leadership—eventually earning the rank of Eagle Scout at just 17 years old.
By high school, it was clear that Joshua’s passion for the outdoors far outweighed any interest in academics or athletics. With a driver’s license at 16 came even more opportunity, and his pursuits expanded to include pheasant hunting, fishing, trapping fur bearers, and turtle trapping, among many others. After graduating from Lamoni High School in 2005, Joshua briefly attended college with plans to study forestry management and fish biology. It didn’t take long to realize that learning in the field suited him far better than learning in a classroom.
In 2007, Joshua enrolled in the Missouri Western State University Law Enforcement Academy and graduated in 2008. He was hired shortly thereafter by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office in Missouri, where he served as a road deputy for two years. Around this time, Joshua met Meghan Dunagan, who quickly became his wife. The two were married in the summer of 2010 in Santa Cruz, California, beginning a life that would take them back and forth between California and Missouri.
Joshua transitioned into the automotive sales industry in Santa Cruz, where he quickly found success and built a strong career. In 2014, Joshua and Meghan welcomed their daughter, Riley. Seeking to be closer to family, they relocated to Kansas City, Missouri, in 2017. There, Joshua shifted careers once again, this time into heavy equipment sales, where he built a respected brand across the Missouri and Kansas markets selling SANY equipment.
Despite professional success, Joshua’s true passion never wavered. Fishing and hunting took him across the globe on annual trips to Alaska, Canada, Africa, Brazil, and beyond. Eventually, it became clear that weekends and vacations were no longer enough—he wanted the outdoors to be at the center of both his career and his lifestyle.
In 2022, Joshua partnered with close friend and colleague Justin Karleski, and the two committed to a shared goal: owning and operating a fishing lodge in Alaska. Their search led them to Sitka in the fall of 2023, where they discovered Wild Strawberry Lodge / Alaska Premier Charters—a family-owned gem operating in some of the finest sportfishing waters in the world. Later that year, Joshua and Justin proudly purchased the lodge from founder Theresa Weiser.
Today, Joshua and his family are embracing a new chapter, splitting their time between Kansas City and Sitka while carrying on the tradition, passion, and guest experience that define Wild Strawberry Lodge. In addition to his role as owner, Joshua is also an active freshwater fishing and waterfowl guide, working directly with guests and sharing his lifelong love of the outdoors on the water and in the field. The story continues, but the passion has never changed.
Joshua looks forward to welcoming guests, creating lifelong memories, and sharing unforgettable days at the lodge and beyond.
See you soon—let’s go fishing!
