Leadership – 2020

Buncombe County Beekeepers Club
2020 Officers

Marc Eden – President

My wife and I have been keeping bees for about 8+ years. I’ve obtained my journeyman level certification as well as being a certified honey producer. I’m working on completion of my Master Beekeeper. I’m a life-long learner and educator who enjoys immersion therapy into many different hobbies and interests including ballroom dancing, singing (and yes, I sing to my bees), vaudeville, theatre, musical composition, traveling, hiking, river-rafting/kayaking, food, gardening, writing, education, nursing, massage therapy, handyman (carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry), pianist, published researcher, mead-making, wine, and chickens. I’m sure I’m forgetting something in there. I love beekeeping and sharing knowledge about best-practices in beekeeping and cutting-edge research. I believe the eventual success of the honeybee will depend on the hobbyist beekeeper citizen-scientists. I think my strengths lay in bringing folks together and joining disparate factions into a cohesive structure by helping people see how much they have in common.

 Contact the President

Mark Traub – Vice President

I am a first year bee keeper. Last fall I was checking out something on line and stumbled upon BCBS web site. I came to one meeting and knew right away that I would become a bee keeper. I have had some introduction to bees many years ago while living out west and was fascinated… but nothing comes close to having a few hives and learning what the bees have to teach. I live in West Asheville.

Contact the Vice-President

 

 

Russ Jefferies – Treasurer

 

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Barbara Bailey – Secretary

My husband George and I migrated from Raleigh to the mountains of Yancey County North Carolina in 1970. We bought a small farm, had a sweet baby boy, and learned to grow things. When our 2nd boy was born in 1980, we headed to Asheville and discovered new activities. After earning a degree in clinical psychology, I ended up working in community mental health until retiring in 2012. Hobbies include tai chi, bee keeping and organic gardening, with a special interest in medicinal herbs. I started keeping bees in 2014, attended bee school, and then became a Certified Beekeeper in 2016. Also attended the class for Journeyman Beekeepers, still so much to learn.

 Contact the Secretary

 

Dr. Cathy Bufflap Peerless – Assistant Secretary

 I grew up in Asheville during the 1960’s attending Lee Edwards High School (1968). I graduated from the University of North Carolina (1972) and moved to Connecticut where I taught Ceramics at the University of Hartford (MAED and D.Ed.). I also taught art, world history, and international studies at Suffield High School until I retired in 2010. I returned to Asheville to take care of my father who was a beekeeper for almost 30 years. I began my beekeeping journey with some coaching from him because the bees were so beneficial in his last years. I joined the Buncombe County Beekeepers Club, attended Bee School and now I am a NC journeyman Beekeeper! I currently have an apiary with 4 hives in North Asheville and one in Alexander.

 Janet Peterson – Membership Director

I started with the club in 1995 and have held every position but treasurer! Honeybees are an essential part of my Cloud 9 Farm for pollinating U-pick blueberries and as an agri-tourism/education element for the vacation renters. I keep between 5-10 hives in Fairview. I retired from school teaching with Buncombe County Schools and love the organization and educational activities of the club. Check out my place: www.cloud9relaxation.com  

Contact the Membership Director

Beth Stanberry – Director 

My fascination with honeybees started as a child when my grandfather kept several hives right outside his back door. They seemed to be inquisitive and would fly to him when he was in the yard and garden; maybe he was naturally sweet, or perpetually covered in pollen.
Fast forward many years; a hive body and frames from my grandfather’s estate was found in storage and my curiosity was renewed.
I joined the BCBC for the 2018 year and onward and have learned many wonderful things about honeybees; namely, for all we “know” about the lives of honeybees and their challenges, there are multitudes of things we do not. I have enjoyed volunteering at the BCBC apiary a few times, with gentle guidance, and look forward to learning more as we go!

 

 

Colleen Thompson – Director

I am a retired high school science teacher who is blessed to own Double Creek Farms, a small 20-acre farm in the Leicester community. My interest in beekeeping started as a result of noticing the scarcity of honeybees on the farm.  

I learned of the Buncombe County Beekeepers organization from Asheville’s Bee Charmer, and attended a beginning beekeeper course in Henderson County, had mentoring help from, Dave Cowart and came to my first BCBC meeting in January 2016. 

After harvesting 10 gallons of honey the first year (which won a blue ribbon with the International Black Jar Honey contest), I was hooked. 

I’m excited to be involved with the Buncombe County Beekeepers organization and look forward to meeting and working with other beekeepers.

 

Shaneka Rose – Director

2017 brought about much change for my family and me. We moved to Candler which is where my interest in beekeeping began. I visited science and nature centers having educational bee installations and was so interested I decided to take a beginners class. That Spring, I began beekeeping. 
 
Beekeeping has become a passion for me and while I currently have 2 hives, I have plans to expand my apiary. 
 
Being a beekeeper I am constantly learning  lessons from them that extend beyond the hive, such as patience and persistence. 
 
My major hobbies include all things yarn related from knitting to spinning. I also enjoy sewing and rehabbing furniture. You can often find me at my local YMCA or trying to learn Cyr wheel. Otherwise, I am tending to my family and custom fabric company. 
 
I am originally from the New Orleans area. Growing up in a majorly suburban/urban area did not provide exposure to more natural interests such as beekeeping. This is something that I want to change for others through education, mentorship, and representation. 

 

Committee Chairs

 

Marshall Mullins- Apiary Manager

Originally from Ohio, I have lived in Western North Carolina for over 20 years and have managed the BCBC apiary for two years. 

My great-grandfather introduced me to honeybees about 57 years ago back when the only thing you had to do was harvest honey once a year. I finally acquired my own bees about 10 years ago just about the time the Varroa Destructor made beekeeping a challenge. In between, I have had numerous jobs from a garbage truck driver to a research technician. Along the way, I became a jack-of-all-trades with skills in auto repair, carpentry, cabinet making, welding, plumbing, electrical, coaching, dog training, farming, Youtube content, and now beekeeping. I am most interested in helping in the development of varroa resistant honeybees. I now have about 20 hives from varroa resistant stock and I plan on selling overwintered nucs in 2020. 

Janet Peterson – Education Committee

Contact the Education Committee Director

Internal Communication Committee – Shaneka Rose

 

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