MCBA is fortunate to have many members who do the dozens of tasks that keep the Club thriving. In 2017, the Board of Directors approved official recognition of members who have donated 100 or more volunteer hours since the Club was incorporated in 2010.
“The award will be given annually to (1) members who have accumulated 100 or more hours at the County Fair or (2) individuals who have donated equally significant volunteer time to Club activities, including service at monthly meetings, as Board or committee members, the Short Course, or special events.” The award is a lapel pin of the Club’s logo. Member volunteers are recognized annually, at MCBA's November monthly meeting.
CLASS OF 2024
2024 MCBA President Kimberly Pfirrmann-Powell, center, presents volunteer recognition pins to John Mahaffie (L) and Don English (R)
John staffed our areas at the Fair, served as MCBA Secretary, coordinated the EAS scholarships for Club members, and co-hosted “Bees After Hours". Don English has faithfully volunteered at the Fair and has been a virtual mentor for new beekeepers.
- John Mahaffie
- Don English
CLASS OF 2023
- Don Van Ryk
- Kimberly Pfirrmann-Powell
CLASS OF 2022
- Eric Malcolm has served as MCBA President, an apiary mentor, and participated in many outreach events.
- Trina Sensenig served for three years as Board Secretary, has worked multiple shifts at County Fair s, and regularly participated in outreach events.
- Meegan Kelly quickly reached 100 hours by volunteering at the County Fair, mentoring in the Club apiary, helping to organize “Bees After Hours,” and serving on the Board of Directors.
- Judy Treible has volunteered at the County Fair for many years, serves as a Board member, has mentored at the apiary, and served as a Virtual Mentor for “Beekeeping 101
CLASS OF 2021
- Charlee Hardy has worked as a volunteer at Montgomery County Fairs, as well as helping to design and set up the display in Old MacDonald’s Barn. In 2021 and 2021 she served as a mentor and worker in the Club apiary. She also helped to build the work table recently installed in the Club bee yard.
- Chris Heathcote has volunteered at the Montgomery County Fair, participated in outreach events, served on the faculty and planning committee for the “Beekeeping 101” class, and served as a member of the Club’s Board of Directors.
- Michael Hurst has volunteered at the Montgomery County Fair and assisted with Club outreach. He serves on the “Beekeeping 101” planning committee and moderated the 2021 class. Mike assisted with live streaming from the Club apiary and serves on the Board of Directors.
CLASS OF 2020
Rob Jenson has volunteered at the County Fair, presented bee-related programs in the community (including Greenfest, Earth Day and Pink Fest), helped with the 2019 Extraction Extravaganza, attended Board meetings to share ideas, supported the Club’s IT development, and helped to plan this year’s outreach events – many of which, unfortunately, were quashed/postponed by COVID.
CLASS OF 2019
Chris Costa served as Board Vice President and Secretary when MCBA was founded. He prepared the initial paperwork for incorporation of Club as a non-profit and was active in the group’s early days.
Len Greig joined the Club in 1999. From 2002- 2005 he managed the observation hive at Brookside Nature Center. He also helped to close down the Club apiary (all hives were dead) and relocate it to a new site, where it became part of the Short Course training. He has served as liaison between MCBA and Brookside staff and was the Club representative for the first two years of the Harvest Festival at the Agricultural History Farm Park. Len has lost count of the number of years he has volunteered at the County Fair and other events. He retired in 2016 and now has more time to contribute to MCBA and his own bees.
Jed Jaffe is active doing community outreach presentations and as a volunteer at the County Fair and Brookside Honey Harvest Festival. When there is a MCBA event, you can usually see him helping to set up, talking with visitors and then packing up. This year, Jed has also been active as a mentor in the Club bee yard, helping new beekeepers at the twice-monthly sessions.
Frank Linton has generously shared his Master Beekeeper skills with the Club. He has served on the Board of Directors sinc 2018, assisted at our apiary workdays, participated in community outreached, and coordinated our participation at the 2019 Brookside Garden Greenfest. He installed and monitors the two hive scales we use at the apiary. He also installed the new (2019) observation hive at Brookside Nature Center and continues to maintain it and train docents to explain its workings to visitors.
Jean-Paul Miller is a familiar face at MCBA events, including – volunteering at the County Fair, assisting at the Short Course, expanding the bee yard, erecting the new apiary shed, and helping with refreshments.
Stefanie Ottenstein joined the Board as Treasurer in 2018, immediately taking on the responsibility of re-instating the Club’s non-profit status and securing insurance for our activities. She has responsibility for submitting all federal and state and county reports, volunteers at the County Fair and the Brookside Honey Harvest Festival.
Elaine Rodrigues joined the Board of Directors in 2018. She has helped create educational materials for student outreach, and volunteered at apiary workdays, the Short Course, and the County Fair. She also coordinates refreshments for our monthly meetings.
Mark Thiessen is well known as one of the Club’s bee yard mentors. He helped to rebuild the Club apiary in 2019, and regularly volunteers at the County Fair and other Club events. He has been a presenter at Club meetings and also attends Short Course sessions to discuss beekeeping with the students one-on-one.
CLASS OF 2018
Middle Row, left to right: Jeff Beck, Marc Hoffman, Mary McQueen, David Howard, Maureen Jais-Mick
Front Row, left to right: Jim Fraser, Phil Frank, Pam Hepp, Tracy Waterman, Dara Ballow-Giffen, Kameha Bell
Not shown: James Fraser II, “Bee George” Meyer, Peter Soukup, Barry Thompson
- Dara Ballow-Giffen: Newsletter editor 2014 - 2018
- Jeffrey Beck: Board Treasurer 2011; Board Director 2013; Short Course volunteer; Fair volunteer
- Kameha Bell: Board Secretary 2013-2014; Short Course mentor and presenter; Fair volunteer; membership directories preparer
- Phil Frank: Created and facilitates On-Line Membership & Web Services systems; Webmaster since 2016; Fair volunteer; Swarm Notice coordinator
- Andrew Fraser: Bee Yard, County Fair Manager of the Day, Short Course, various Club activities
- James Fraser: Bee Yard, County Fair Manager of the Day, Short Course, various Club activities
- Jim Fraser: Board President 2011-2012; Board Vice President 2015-2016; Fair Liaison; various Club activities
- Pam Hepp: Board Director 2017; Board Vice President 2018; Education and Community Outreach Director since 2016; Club librarian; Fair volunteer
- Marc Hoffman: Club Liaison with Montgomery County Planning Committee regarding zoning that affects pollinators and beekeeping
- David Howard: Associate Fair Member; Short Course staff
- Maureen Jais-Mick: Board Secretary 2016-2018; Board Audit Committee 2017-2018; Bee Yard; County Fair Volunteer manager; County Fair volunteer
- Christopher Lewis: Manager of refreshments for monthly meeting and Short Course 2016-2018; County Fair volunteer; meeting presenter
- Frank McCowan: County Fair volunteer; manages loans of Club extracting equipment; Board Director 2015-2017; hosted holiday party 2016-2017
- Tim McMahon: Board Director 2011-2012; Board Secretary 2013; Board President 2014-2016; former Bee Yard manager; meeting presenter
- Mary McQueen: Board Director 2013-2014; Community Outreach and Education Director prior to 2015; County Fair volunteer; designed Fair displays and teaching materials
- Steve McVeigh: Bee Yard mentor; Short Course staff; County Fair volunteer
- George Meyer (“Bee George”): Board Director 2011-2012; Board President 2013; listserv manager until 2017
- Marie Rojas: Board Director 2016-2018; program presenter; County Fair volunteer; ongoing contributor to website plant information pages
- Genevieve Sanchez-Howard: Board Secretary 2011-2012; County Fair Associate Member; Short Course staff
- Peter Soukup: Board Director 2016-2018; Board Audit Committee 2017-2018; Led reinstatement of Club’s non-profit status with the IRS 2016-2018
- Barry Thompson: Fair Lifetime Member; program presenter; educational outreach volunteer
- Leon Vandenberg: Board Director 2013-2014; Board President 2017-2018; Bee Yard manager and mentor; County Fair volunteer
- Tracy Waterman: Board Director 2013-2014; Board Secretary 2015; Short Course Coordinator; prepared membership directories; County Fair volunteer
March 16, 2019 APIARY UPGRADE
Many thanks to 13 MCBA Volunteers who gave our mentoring apiary a huge upgrade: They installed new fencing to expand the mentoring-apiary, built a shed to hold our equipment, and reconditioned and painted our club's hive components. Photos courtesy of Steve McVeigh
- Leon Vandenberg
- James Fraser
- Andrew Fraser
- Jim Fraser
- JP Miller
- Elaine Rodrigues
- Phil Frank
- Frank Linton
- Jed Jaffe
- Steve McVeigh
- Mark Thiessen
- Norbert Fiess
- Tom Soileau
- Maureen Jais-Mick
