Speakers

• 

  Dr. James Tew Author
  

  Dr. James Tew

  Author

  Dr. James E. Tew is an Emeritus Faculty member at The Ohio State University. Jim is also retired from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. During his forty-eight years of bee work, Jim has taught classes, provided extension services, and conducted research on honey bees and honey bee behavior.

  He contributes monthly articles to national beekeeping publications and has written: Beekeeping Principles, Wisdom for Beekeepers, The Beekeeper’s Problem Solver, and Backyard Beekeeping. He has a chapter in The Hive and the Honey Bee and was a co-author of ABC and XYZ of Bee Culture. He is a frequent speaker at state and national meetings and has traveled internationally to observe beekeeping techniques.

  Jim produces a YouTube beekeeping channel, started Honey Bee Obscura podcast with Kim Flottum, and keeps the grass down in his bee yards at home.

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Kent Williams EAS Certified Master Beekeeper
  

  Kent Williams

  EAS Certified Master Beekeeper

  Kent Williams has kept bees for 35+ years. He currently has around 1,600 colonies divided between western KY and southern MS.; pollinates almonds in CA; produces and sells nucs, honey, and queens. He depends heavily on two business associates that perform the majority of the work and one that specializes in moving bees. He also operates a three-day hands-on beekeeper’s school each year in April on his home farm in western KY at no cost to the attendees. The classes are held from 9:00-5:00 each day with a very good home style lunch served at noon. The event is family-friendly with camping on the farm available. 2027 will be the 31st consecutive year the event has been held! Kent is also an EAS certified master beekeeper.

• 

  Bruce Snavely
  

  Bruce Snavely

  Republic, MO., is a pastor, an avid beekeeper of 18 years with passionate appreciation for all things honey bee, especially education. Bruce has served as former president and board member of the Beekeeping Association of the Ozarks and 14 years on Missouri State Beekeepers Association Board as Progr am Chair and South Regional Director. Bruce has traveled aboard to share support and establish apiary programs in Guatemala, Africa and India. Presently, Bruce is partnering with Convoy of Hope’s Center for Agriculture & Food Security providing Honey Bee Education and colony stewardship.

• 

  Cathy Misko President, JoCoMO Beekeepers Assn
  

  Cathy Misko

  President, JoCoMO Beekeepers Assn

  Cathy Misko, Centerview, MO., Cathy is a “Mama” of 8 and for 37 years, she is known as the “Bee Lady”, ever since a swarm of bee “chose” her in 1989, when she was gardening with a baby strapped onto her back! Cathy is President of the Johnson County MO Beekeepers Assn; Founder, Heartland Beekeeping Partnership; Past President, Midwestern Beekeepers (Kansas City area); served as Missouri State Beekeepers Assn. first Legislative Liaison; and is in her 5th 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 two Missouri beekeeping laws including consultation for friendly beekeeping city 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 17 years. Cathy is an Eastern Apicultural Society (EAS) Certified Master Beekeeper, EAS Life Member, and enjoys digging in dirt, mentoring, sharing sweetness from the Dancing Bees Ranch, and loving on her family, especially her physician hubby of 46 years and their 13+ grands!

  Topics:

  37 Years with the Bees: 17 Years Chemical Free, Cathy Misko, EAS Master Beekeeper: This presentation will cover the when, why, and how chemical free beekeeping was established at Dancing Bees Ranch, Centerview, MO. A present chemical free management update will be given.

  Colony Installation and Package/Nuc Management: Steward for Success, Cathy Misko, EAS Master Beekeeper: Step-by-step instructions covering: ways to install package bees (including during inclement weather), successful care for a newly housed colony of bees, how to feed them, when to put on the next hive body (rule of 7), and when to add honey supers. Nuc installation and management will also be addressed for success.

• 

  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 since 2010. “My journey into beekeeping began through exposure. My father and husband kept bees, and I sought to join them and have 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 eight years.

• 

  Erin Mullins
  

  Erin Mullins

  Erin Mullins is from Barnard, Missouri and has been a beekeeper for 15+ years. Erin was the 2014 Missouri Honey Princess, 2015 Missouri Honey Queen and 2016 MSBA Beekeeper of the Year. In 2019 she took over the role of State Fair Chair for the MSBA and served in that position for 4 years. Her true passion has always been educating the public about the honeybee and the benefits of honey. Erin along with her dad runs Mullins Honey. They keep a few hives in Nodaway County for honey production and sell honey at local farmers markets. Erin works as a nurse at Conception Abbey and Seminary College in Conception Missouri.

• 

  Jeff Maddox President, Beekeepers Assn of the Ozarks
  

  Jeff Maddox

  President, Beekeepers Assn of the Ozarks

  Jeff Maddox is the Owner of 417Bees.com based in Rogersville, Missouri where he sells nucs, honey, and performs cutouts all around the Springfield, MO region. Jeff has a degree in Wildlife Management and Forestry and has worked for Federal, state and private natural resource agencies. He applies his science background and love of nature to his beekeeping operation of about 150 colonies. He has done cut-outs for 25 years in Missouri and Indiana. He is a member of the Beekeepers Association of the Ozarks in Springfield, MO and the current president. He was the founding president of the Indiana Native Plant Society. He is a Master Candidate in the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program. He also teaches dance two nights a week.

  Jeff Maddox. [email protected] 317-698-8088

• Jo Patrick
  Jo Patrick
• Joli Winer
  Joli Winer
• 

  Kyle Day MSBA President Elect
  

  Kyle Day

  MSBA President Elect

  Kyle Day started beekeeping in 2014 when he received a scholarship from the Midwestern Beekeepers Association. His passion for beekeeping soon turned into a passion of helping fellow beekeepers. Kyle soon started assisting Midwestern beekeepers by mentoring other scholarship students, writing monthly articles, and presenting in beginner beekeeping courses. In 2017 Kyle was Missouri State Beekeepers Association first Honey Ambassador, helping represent MSBA, and taught beekeeping across the state of Missouri for a year. In 2018 Kyle opened Sunny Day Beekeeping, helping local beekeepers to quick access of equipment and supplies. Since 2018 Kyle has held various MSBA Board positions and is currently the MSBA Education and Programs Chairperson. Kyle was the 2022 Missouri State Fair Apiculture Contest Grand Champion, the 2023 Eastern Apiculture Society Mann Lake Youth Scholarship recipient, and attended EAS 2023 where some of the ideas of MO BEE Day originated from. Kyle currently keeps between 30-50 hives. Outside of Beekeeping Kyle is the Manager and Mechanic at Richmond Bowl, City Aldermen and Planning and Zoning Chairperson for the City of Henrietta, while attending the University of Central Missouri, working toward his degree in Agriculture Education. Outside of Beekeeping, work, and classes, you can usually find Kyle with his friends and family. Kyle loves the outdoors and is an avid camper, fisherman, and thanks to his girlfriend Vivian, he is currently learning how to ride horses as well.

• 

  Tammy Tappana Retired, MSBA Treasurer
  

  Tammy Tappana

  Retired, MSBA Treasurer

  Tammy Tappana has spent her life in the Kansas City metropolitan area and currently resides in Smithville, Missouri. She graduated summa cum laude from Park University and has built a diverse career in accounting, wearing many hats over the past 30+ years. Her early experience as Treasurer for her son’s Cub Scout pack (1999–2002) helped lay the foundation for her current role as Treasurer of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association, a position she has held since March 2021.

  In 2024, Tammy retired to care for her uncle during his illness. Today, she proudly embraces her newest and most cherished role—“Gammy Tammy”—and looks forward to spending time with her grandson and showering him with love.

  Tammy enjoys a wide range of creative and outdoor hobbies, including sewing, painting, stained glass and mosaic work, motorcycle road trips with her husband, and, of course, beekeeping. Her beekeeping journey began in early 2016 during the Flow Hive funding craze, when she thought, “That looks easy—I bet I can do that!” After a few first-year mishaps, she quickly discovered that beekeeping is both challenging and deeply rewarding. Eager to learn, she joined Clayton Lee’s Northland Beekeepers Club, attended classes, read extensively, and has been hooked ever since. Tammy also serves as an administrator for the Northland Beekeepers Facebook group, helping support and connect fellow beekeepers.

• 

  Tom Sostman Owner / VIA Honeybees
  

  Tom Sostman

  Owner / VIA Honeybees

  Tom Sostman has been a passionate beekeeper since 2018, dedicating himself to both the art and science of apiculture. Currently enrolled in the Great Plains Master Beekeeper program through the University of Nebraska, Tom’s commitment to education is evident. He serves as the Program Chairperson for the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association (EMBA) and sits on the board of the Missouri State Beekeepers Association (MSBA), demonstrating his leadership within the beekeeping community.

  Tom and his wife, Melissa, manage over 200 hives, focusing on nucleus colonies, honey production, and rearing high-quality queens. They market their honey and other hive products through social media, local shops, and at farmers’ markets in the area. A firm believer in lifelong learning, Tom regularly travels to bee conferences across the United States to stay at the forefront of beekeeping practices. He also shares his expertise by speaking at local bee clubs and state organizations, further contributing to the education and growth of fellow beekeepers.

• Tristan and Christina Cory
  Tristan and Christina Cory
• 

  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!!!