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Preliminary Agenda
Meet the Speakers....
Dr. Jon Zawislak is an assistant professor of apiculture and urban entomology for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. He has worked and played with honey bees since 1998, and is equally at home in the bee yard, the laboratory or the classroom. He presents lectures, workshops and short courses for new and experienced beekeepers throughout Arkansas and beyond. He emphasizes the biology and behavior of honey bees as the cornerstones of keeping them productive and healthy. He also spreads the word about the importance of pollinators to the non-beekeeping public. Jon has a background in botany and entomology, and was certified as an EAS Master Beekeeper in 2009. He and his family operate Walnut Valley Honey Farm in Fayetteville, Arkansas, producing good products from the hive and ensuring their neighborhood has plenty of pollinators.
Julia Mahood is a Georgia Master Crafts Beekeeper who has been keeping bees since 2004. She created the citizen science website MapMyDca.com to gather data on drone congregation areas. Julia was awarded the Georgia Beekeeper of the year in 2018. A graphic artist, she designed the Georgia “Save the honey bee” license plate. She is passionate about education and teaches beekeeping in Georgia prisons. Julia is currently the President of the Georgia Beekeepers Association.
Dr. David R. Tarpy is a Professor of Applied Ecology and the NC Extension Specialist in honey bees. Among other extension initiatives, his program runs the Queen & Disease Clinic and the Beekeeper Education & Engagement System (or BEES). His research interests focus on the biology and behavior of honey bee queens in order to better improve the overall health of queens and their colonies. His lab focuses on the reproductive potential of commercially produced queens, testing their genetic diversity and mating success in an effort to improve queen quality. He has served on the boards of the NC State Beekeepers, the Eastern Apiculture Society, the Bee Informed Partnership, and the editorial boards of the top two scientific journals on apiculture. He is a highly sought-after speaker for clubs around the country and is in high demand to talk about the research coming out of his lab.
Tucka B. Saville
Joe Komperda, Joe Komperda, the “Average Joe Beekeeper”, is a dual certified Master Beekeeper who kept bees in Colorado with his wife Debbie for 10 seasons prior to starting to keep bees in North Carolina 4 seasons ago. He currently is the VP of the Iredell County NC Beekeepers and Co-Moderator of the Bee Leaders of North Carolina.
His “Bee-Engaged” presentations are aimed at urban beekeepers and hobbyists but are applicable to all levels and types of beekeepers. Combining experience along with an appreciation for bee biology and behavior, he provides an easy-to-understand interpretation of the Honey Bee for his audiences.