Buncombe County Beekeepers Club
2026 Officers
Committee Chairs & Board Members
Mary Liske – President
Mary Liske is the President of the Buncombe County Beekeepers Club and a NCSBA Certified Beekeeper, currently working toward her Journeyman certification. She married into a beekeeping family in 2008, when her father-in-law and grandfather-in-law introduced her to the world of bees. Mary fondly recalls her first hive inspection at her family’s apiary in Midland, NC, in 2012. As a hobbyist beekeeper, she maintains her hives in Weaverville, NC.
Originally from California, Mary has spent two decades in North Carolina, bringing her diverse background to her role as Broker-In-Charge at Looking Glass Realty Asheville. Specializing in both residential and commercial real estate, Mary is passionate about helping her clients achieve their real estate goals—especially those looking for the perfect spot for an apiary!
Chad Siek – Vice President
Chad has been beekeeping for over 8 years, and is currently a NCSBA Journeyman Beekeeper working toward qualifying as a Master Beekeeper. He and his wife together manage their backyard apiary of ~10 colonies, and he also enjoys working with the BCBC Apiary Committee, helping to take care of the club apiary located at the Root Cause Farm.
Having lived most of his life in a suburban setting, Chad believes that beekeeping offers a means of connecting to the natural world in a way that he’s not been able to experience otherwise, and he enjoys the never-ending learning that comes with this science and art.
Janet Peterson – Membership Director
Janet began with the Buncombe County Beekeepers Club in 1995 and has served in every position except treasurer. Honeybees are an essential part of her Cloud 9 Farm, where they pollinate U-pick blueberries and serve as both an agri-tourism and educational feature for vacation renters. Maintaining between 5–10 hives in Fairview, Janet combines her love of beekeeping with a background in education, having retired from teaching with Buncombe County Schools. Passionate about the club’s organization and educational activities, she continues to share the benefits of bees with the community. Learn more about Cloud 9 Farm at www.cloud9relaxation.com.
Steve Vidal – Treasurer
Steve first began raising bees in the 1970s, long before bears and Varroa mites became common challenges. Back then, everything he learned came through word-of-mouth, which, unfortunately, was not always reliable. Due to inexperience and a lack of knowledge—such as the importance of feeding bees in early spring and fall—Steve lost all of his hives. In 2023, he attended a beekeeping class at AB-Tech taught by Scott Davis, Master Beekeeper, and came away with a wealth of new knowledge.
Today, Steve and his wife, Marion, are transforming their yard by removing grass and replacing it with native plants and flowers that pollinators love. He has recently started two new hives, and his bees have been thriving. Steve credits the Buncombe County Beekeepers Club as an invaluable source of expert information and support in his beekeeping journey.
Greg Kriezel – Secretary
Scott Davis- Director
Scott Davis is the owner of Garren Creek Apiaries, LLC, producers of honey and hive products. He is an NCSBA Certified Master Beekeeper and often describes himself as an “unwilling legacy beekeeper.” His introduction to bees began in Lower Alabama, where his father-in-law had been keeping bees for more than 50 years. On his first visit to the family home, Scott wandered behind the garage to discover a dozen hives in full, buzzing glory. His first thought was, “This man’s crazy!”—and the rest is history.
In addition to beekeeping, Scott has had a distinguished 45-year career in the publishing industry as an Information Technology professional. His expertise in data validation and integrity has proven valuable in beekeeping, allowing him to navigate the abundance of information and misinformation within the field.
Scott has been keeping bees for 14 years. With no mentors and a rocky start marked by three difficult seasons, he eventually found his stride in the craft. Today, his apiary consists of 24–30 hives, and he manages several other apiaries throughout Buncombe and Henderson counties, including a site featuring A.Z. (Slovenian) hives.
Over the past two years, Scott has focused on introducing Varroa Sensitive Hygienic (VSH) queen stock into his apiaries. His goal is to strengthen local bee populations by contributing genetics that help manage mites and viruses, supporting both managed and feral colonies for the future.
Dr. Cathy Bufflap Peerless – Director
Cathy grew up in Asheville during the 1960s and graduated from Lee Edwards High School in 1968. She went on to earn her degree from the University of North Carolina in 1972 before moving to Connecticut, where she taught Ceramics at the University of Hartford (MAED and D.Ed.). She also taught art, world history, and international studies at Suffield High School until her retirement in 2010.
After returning to Asheville to care for her father—a beekeeper for nearly 30 years—Cathy began her own beekeeping journey with his guidance. Inspired by the benefits bees brought in his final years, she joined the Buncombe County Beekeepers Club, attended Bee School, and became a North Carolina Journeyman Beekeeper. She now maintains an apiary with four hives in North Asheville and one in Alexander.
Judy Li – Director
Judy Li moved to Asheville in 2000. She was keeping bees before moving to Asheville and restarted in 2007. Currently, she keeps 7 to 10 hives in South Asheville and Hendersonville with her friend Linda. Judy is a retired dietitian, working in New Orleans, LA, Rochester MN, and Cleveland, OH.
John Wood – Director
John Wood is a third-generation beekeeper. He used to help his father bring bees to the mountains for sourwood. Wood has been keeping bees himself since his father died in 2013. His 20 to 25 hives are in apiaries in Asheville, Leicester, and Reems Creek. He sells honey with the brand name Wild Montford Honey. When not tending bees, he teaches anthropology at UNC Asheville.
Chelsea Pickett – Director
Chelsea Pickett is a new beekeeper who quickly found herself enchanted by honey bees after taking a beekeeping course taught by Scott Davis, which she attended with her husband, Zach. Since then, she’s been captivated by the endless opportunities to learn and grow within the beekeeping world.
With a background in animal welfare and over ten years of experience in marketing and branding, Chelsea brings a passion for storytelling and community-building to BCBC. She and Zach keep bees at their home in Candler, NC, where they’re learning the rhythms of the hive, one inspection at a time.
Helen Weinstein – Director
Helen kept bees at her home on Long Island, NY, for 3 years before moving to Asheville late in 2022. She was excited to restart her beekeeping experience in 2023 and hasn’t looked back. Her ever-expanding hobby farm includes goats, sheep, chickens, a mini orchard, and a lavender field. She is also re-wilding a part of her farm to create more native habitat for the local ecosystem. She has received her Journeyman level of certification and is also a proud mentor of “NewBees” in the national Hives for Heroes program, which supports veterans and first responders interested in beekeeping.
Mary Nordgulen – Director
Mary started beekeeping when she purchased two colonies from a friend in 2015. Being naïve, she did not realize that one colony was without a queen. Despite challenges, the colonies thrived with multiple splits given away over the years.
Mary has a Master’s in Entomology and Nematology from the University of Florida and a passion for research. She participated in an international project rearing Varroa mites in her cellar lab. These mites are surprisingly difficult to rear outside of the hive. Mary currently volunteers at the Veterans Healing Farm apiary in Mills River, helps her mentor with her hives in Fairview, and plans to start an apiary at her home this spring.
Mark Traub – Director
Mark Traub was the President of the Buncombe County Beekeepers Club and a former Vice President. With an apiary in West Asheville, Mark has been a key contributor to the club’s growth and success. His dedication to beekeeping and community outreach has helped strengthen local beekeeping practices and education.
Apiary Committee- Chad Siek, Steve Vidal, John Wood, Greg Kriezel