Speakers

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  Tina Sebestyen VP, CO State Beekeepers Assn
  

  Tina Sebestyen

  VP, CO State Beekeepers Assn

  Tina keeps bees in top bar, Langstroth, and long Langstroth hives. She learned beekeeping from wonderful “old guy” mentors, as well as through mentoring others as the founder of the Four Corners Beekeepers Assoc. She runs 20- 30 colonies, and depending on the year, produces queens, nucs, or honey, does structural bee removals, and has raised queens for a commercial beekeeper. She is past vice president of the Colorado State Beekeepers Assoc. and is the architect and former program director of the Colorado Master Beekeeper Program. She is a frequent contributor for the American Bee Journal and Bee Culture magazines with over 30 articles in each (along with some bee journals from abroad) from her farm in SW Colorado. She can be reached at [email protected]

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  Zac Lamas Researcher
  

  Zac Lamas

  Researcher

  Welcome to the world of Dr. Zac Lamas. I am a researcher who studies virus transmission in honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera). I approach all of my research questions from the perspective of a behavioral ecologist. I want to know how behaviors of the host or the vector can drive viral transmission. My studies are not only important for beekeepers, and understanding social insects, but also broadly to understand how pathogens affect social behavior.

  Most students take a gap year before graduate school. I took a gap decade. During that twisty, turny time my life took me across the United States. I ran a bio-dynamic farm; milking cows and pasture raised poultry for CSA members. I managed fine dining restaurants at luxury hotels, and spent winters roofing houses in North Carolina. And during most of that time I spent years up and down the east coast of the United States producing and selling thousands of honey bee colonies and queens. Ultimately all these experiences coalesced when I decided to go back to school. I wanted to pursue a PhD while answering one question: How can relatively few mites kill a populous honey bee colony?

  After 10 years out of academia I was a very unlikely PhD candidate, but my findings overturned decades of research about Varroa and the honey bee, and led to new methods to study honey bees.

  My work continues as a post-doctoral research at in the Evan’s Lab in Beltsville, MD at the USDA-ARS Bee Research Laboratory. Using functional genomics my work will attempt to link behaviors with the gene’s and pathogens that regulate them.

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  Cory Stevens Stevens Bee Company
  

  Cory Stevens

  Stevens Bee Company

  Cory Stevens comes to us from his 27 acre farm in Bloomfield, MO, which he manages for wildlife and pollinator habitat. Cory and his wife Jaime own Stevens Bee Company where they select for mite resistant VSH stock. Cory is a Past President of Missouri State Beekeepers Association, and earned a MS in entomology from University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He was certified as a Master Beekeeper by EAS in 2013, and trained by Sue Cobey in 2014 to instrumentally inseminate queen bees. He slips bees into random conversation with strangers, and annoys his wife by constantly talking about bees.

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  Cathy Misko President, JoCoMO Beekeepers Assn
  

  Cathy Misko

  President, JoCoMO Beekeepers Assn

  Centerview, MO., Mama of 8 and known as the “Bee Lady” since 1989 (35
  years). Cathy is President of the Johnson County MO Beekeepers Assn. She serves as Legislative Liaison, Missouri State Beekeepers Assn.; Founder, Heartland Beekeeping Partnership; Past President, Midwestern Beekeepers (Kansas City area); and in her 3 rd year as founding editor of the Apiary Buzz newsletter.  Cathy has a passion for education and has launched various clubs’ Beekeeping Youth Scholarship Programs, conducts beekeeping workshops including to veterans for the national Camp Valor Outdoors, assisted with passage of 2 Missouri beekeeping laws including various friendly beekeeping codes, and Chairs the JCMBA Youth Scholarship Program.  While maintaining a focus on genetics, she practices “as natural as possible” management with a commitment to IPM, stewards 50 colonies, and has been chemical free for 15 years.  Cathy is an Eastern Apicultural (EAS) Certified Master Beekeeper, EAS Life Member, and enjoys digging in dirt, mentoring, sharing sweetness from Dancing Bees Ranch, and loving on her family, especially her physician hubby of 44 years and 12 grands!!

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  Charles Linder BeeCause Alliance Director and Commercial Beekeeper
  

  Charles Linder

  BeeCause Alliance Director and Commercial Beekeeper

  Charles Linder serves as a Director for The BeeCause Alliance and is a commercial beekeeper specializing in pollination, currently providing services for 15,000 acres of produce. A retired engineer with over a dozen patents, he brings a unique blend of technical expertise and agricultural knowledge to his beekeeping practice.

  Charles is passionate about supporting sustainable farming practices and the vital role that bees play in our ecosystem. He continues to inspire others by promoting awareness of the importance of pollination in agriculture.

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  Dave Loftin Education Director for Bees Alive Club; Programs Director for MSBA
  

  Dave Loftin

  Education Director for Bees Alive Club; Programs Director for MSBA

  Willing to drive 45 miles from Nixa MO
  Beekeeping for 30 years
  Willing to teach on
  Comb Honey – History and Production
  Trees For Bees
  Swarm Trapping and Collection

  As a boy, Dave watched his grandfather tending beehives. Dave’s first opportunity with bees of his own came after college when he found a swarm in a whiskey barrel at a garden supply store in Rochester, NY. He found local beekeepers to ask advice from and soon joined the Rochester Beekeepers Club. Back then, Dr. Richard Taylor was a local professor and frequent speaker at the club. Dave learned how to produce comb honey as well as many other things from him.

  These days, Dave lives on 10 acres outside Nixa, Missouri with his wife Paula. The property has several varieties of trees beneficial to honeybees. Dave is actively planting more varieties of trees and other plants for pollinators. He is a member of the Bees Alive Club in Nixa, the Beekeeping Association of the Ozarks, and a Board Member and Programs Director for the Missouri State Beekeepers Association.

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  Ericka Clark Owner of Asali Gold Honey; President SoMOBK of Monett
  

  Ericka Clark

  Owner of Asali Gold Honey; President SoMOBK of Monett

  Ericka Clark is the owner of Asali Gold Honey and has been involved in beekeeping for the last 16 years. “My journey into beekeeping began through exposure. My father and husband kept bees, and I sought a more hands-on experience in this remarkable field.”

  With the support of friends and her proactive approach, she has expanded her offerings beyond honey sales to include a diverse range of products made from honey and beeswax. Additionally, she has served as the president of the Monett Bee Club for seven years.

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  Eugene Makovec Editor of American Bee Journal
  

  Eugene Makovec

  Editor of American Bee Journal

  Eugene Makovec is Editor of American Bee Journal, and a 30-year-third-generation hobbyist beekeeper with about a dozen colonies. He is a past President of Three Rivers Beekeepers, has been active in several other local clubs and the Missouri State Beekeepers Association, and is a two-time Missouri Beekeeper of the Year (2006 and 2015).

  In 2015, Eugene spearheaded a successful legislative effort to deregulate the sale of honey in Missouri — removing honey from the “jams and jellies” law (and beekeepers from their “food processor” status) and thus enabling thousands of the state’s beekeepers to sell their product through retail outlets without benefit of a commercial kitchen.

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  Frank Schauer Owner/Operator; Mid-River Transport
  

  Frank Schauer

  Owner/Operator; Mid-River Transport

  Regenerative farmer with a truck. Farms in Ohio and Florida. Bachelor’s degree in broadcasting/telecommunications engineering. Formerly employed at Bell Labs; Verizon Wireless.

  Have been owner operator with semi-truck and multiple trailers since 2017. Began commercial bee transportation in 2021. Member of American Beekeeping Federation.

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  Jane Isabel Sueme Owner/Operator of Isabee's
  

  Jane Isabel Sueme

  Owner/Operator of Isabee's

  I have been keeping bees since 2004, became a Walter T. Kelley equipment dealer and opened Isabee’s Beekeeping Supplies in 2009, currently in Fenton (St. Louis County). I received Master Beekeeper certification from University of Montana Continuing Education in 2016 and Cornell University (e-Cornell) in 2023.

  Along with my partner, Scott Klein, we engage in a wide range of activities in the local beekeeping community including retail equipment sales, education and out-reach, client consulting, and management for 40+ honey bee colonies, for honey, queen breeding and starter colony production and as well observation hive management.

  I have been a board member of the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association from 2004 to 2011, Communications Coordinator for the Heartland Apicultural Society in 2012-2013, and as a founding member of both the St. Louis Beekeepers Club and BeeSpeakSTL Speaker Series in 2012.

  As co-founder of St. Louis Beekeepers Club, I have been tasked as coordinator for the SSA (Sustainable Stock Apiary) Queen rearing group, receiving grant funding from USDA-SARE in 2017 and in 2022, where a small group of farmer/ranchers raise sustainable queens with local drone stock, available to the St. Louis area beekeepers.

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  Jeff Maddox President, Beekeepers Assn of the Ozarks
  

  Jeff Maddox

  President, Beekeepers Assn of the Ozarks

  A native of Indiana now living in Missouri, Jeff is a wildlife ecologist with over 30 years of experience. He has been a professional beekeeper since 2008 and is the current President of the Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks. He also served as President of the East Central Indiana Beekeeper’s Association. He has a degree in Wildlife management and Forestry. He has earned the rank of ISA Certified Arborist. He was a key founder of the Indiana Native Plant Society and served as the founding President. Owner and key contributor also to TheBeeRemover.com.

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  Jonathan Bennett Founding Member / Texas County Missouri Beekeepers Club
  

  Jonathan Bennett

  Founding Member / Texas County Missouri Beekeepers Club

  Jonathan Bennett is a passionate beekeeper and mentor, born with Spina Bifida. Residing in Texas County, Jonathan’s journey into beekeeping began in the winter of 2020, during a time when many people were exploring new interests. While browsing social media, he came across the Flow Hive and was intrigued by the idea of an accessible and low-maintenance beekeeping solution.

  Though he initially discovered that bees had their own preferences and didn’t quite take to the Flow Hive as he had hoped, Jonathan embraced the challenge. He adapted his beekeeping practices to suit his physical abilities and has since found immense joy in the craft.

  Through his beekeeping endeavors, Jonathan has connected with a vibrant community, mentoring veterans through the Hives for Heroes program and sharing his knowledge with fellow enthusiasts and the founding leader of the Texas County Missouri Beekeepers Club. He also serves as a board member of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association.

  His journey is a testament to resilience and the positive impact that beekeeping can have on both individuals and communities.

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  Dr. Michael Brown Doctor, Certified Master Beekeeper, MSBA Past President
  

  Dr. Michael Brown

  Doctor, Certified Master Beekeeper, MSBA Past President

  Dr. Brown is a graduate from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine (Human Doctor). He completed a medical residency in Family and Community Medicine at the University of Missouri – Kansas City. He currently works full time for NKC Health where he practices family medicine in Smithville, Missouri. He is also board certified in Clinical Informatics (Human Doctor Computer Nerd).

  His interests are providing innovative ways to deliver health care to his patients and utilizing technology and media to interact with and educate patients. He lives in Smithville, Missouri with his wife and seven children and continues his family tradition of beekeeping. He also enjoys photography and running, which are two very useful skills for any beekeeper. He is a Certified Master Beekeeper with the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program.

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  Scott Klein Owner/Operator of Isabee's
  

  Scott Klein

  Owner/Operator of Isabee's

  Complementing an interest in Pemaculture and Aquaculture as well as an extensive background in the hobby industry, I began keeping bees in 2004 and crafting native bee habitat and custom honey bee hives.

  I have created custom bee hives for individual beekeepers, The Missouri Botanical Garden, Grants Farm and Warm Springs Ranch in Booneville, MO.

  Along with my partner, Jane Sueme, we became a Walter T. Kelley equipment dealer and opened Isabee’s Beekeeping Supplies in 2009, currently in Fenton (St. Louis County). We engage in a wide range of activities in the local beekeeping community including retail equipment sales, education and out-reach, client consulting, and honey bee removal. We also founded the St. Louis Beekeepers and have continued monthly meetings and community outreach events since 2014.

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  Tom and Melissa Sostman Owners / VIA Honeybees
  

  Tom and Melissa Sostman

  Owners / VIA Honeybees

  Tom and Melissa began their beekeeping adventure in 2017 when a video of a cut out caught Melissa’s interest. Over the next year they began researching and taking classes to learn to become successful backyard beekeepers. In the Fall of 2018, they captured a late season swarm and tried to grow it in a nucleus box. Unfortunately, the swarm had other plans and absconded their new home. In Spring of 2019 they started the season with 2 nucleus colonies and 1 package of bees, that Fall they ended the season with 8 colonies. They successfully overwintered those 8 that quickly became 16. They have since doubled and tripled their colonies annually now having 150+ colonies spread out over 6 different apiaries.

  Their beekeeping goals are education, sustainability, and local nuc and queen sales. Their education goals are being met through both participating in the Great Plains Master Beekeeping program as well as helping teach the monthly classes. They also do local speaking engagements at schools. They were also asked to sit in on board meetings with the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association and were elected to board positions in 2023, Melissa as Vice President and Tom as Program Coordinator. Also, they are board members for the Missouri State Beekeepers Association. These positions further allow them to help bring quality speakers to their club meetings and promote beekeeping education. They also attend several beekeeping conferences throughout the year to help continue their own education.

  Sustainability practices for them include being able to use any products produced from the hive to help fund their beekeeping adventure. They sell honey, honey straws, creamed honey, comb honey, lip balms, pollen, soaps, beeswax candles, queens, and nucs as well as preform bee removals. In 2022 they also built a wax dipping tank and began wax dipping all their woodenware equipment to help preserve their investment.

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  Valorie Nichols Owner of Beecharmer Farms and VP, Beekeepers Assn of the Ozarks
  

  Valorie Nichols

  Owner of Beecharmer Farms and VP, Beekeepers Assn of the Ozarks

  Valorie Nichols has been a beekeeper since 1994, I started out, taking the beginning beekeeping classes for the first time and won a hive from what was soon to be my mentor. Unfortunately, I fell victim to losing my first hive in the winter, but got back up and decided that this hobby was something that I really wanted to pursue. So I bought two additional hives, those two became four, four became 16 and you know the rest of the story.

  I retired in 2017 from United Parcel Service with 34 years of blood sweat and tears and decided that I wanted to turn my hobby that was on steroids into a business.
  I have held several positions in our local club, Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks, and am currently serving as the Vice President. I also serve as a Board Member for the Missouri State Beekeepers Association and cover the southwest region of the state.

  I am currently keeping around 100 hives of bees, and do a lot of custom extraction to complicate my life even more!!!