2023 Board of Directors
James Morgan
2023 SOWEGA Beekeepers Club President. Dougherty County UGA Extension Agent. James talks to kids at the Crisp Academy in Cordele, Georgia every spring at the Farm Day event about Bees.
Stan Okon
2023 SOWEGA Beekeepers Club Vice President. Beekeeping School Dean and Instructor. Stan mentors at Bee Labs and gives a great presentation about catching swarms.
Barrett Chaffin
2023 SOWEGA Beekeepers Club Treasurer. Bee Lab mentor and Beekeeping School Instructor. Owner of Waggle Dance Apiaries.
Paul Blais
2023 SOWEGA Beekeepers Club Secretary. Winner of the 2022 Beekeeper of the Year Award.
Kim Bridges
2023 SOWEGA Beekeepers Club Board Member.
Sophie Raburn
2023 SOWEGA Beekeepers Club Board Member. Will be attending the Welsh Honey Judging School this year.
Erika Antonio
2023 SOWEGA Beekeepers Club Board Member. Attended the SBC Beekeeping School for Beginners last year. Volunteers at almost every SBC event with her husband Mike.
2022 Board of Directors
Kat Tucker
President of the SOWEGA Beekeepers Club August, 2020 - December 2022. Kat was also the SBC Advertising Executive, Event Coordinator, Social Media Manager, Web Designer and Fundraising Director.
Stan Okon
Vice President of the SOWEGA Beekeepers Club since August, 2020. Stan is also the School Dean of the Beekeeping School for Beginners, Bee Lab Mentor and Winner of the 2021 SBC Black Jar Best Tasting Honey Award.
Madison Akridge
2022 Treasurer of the SOWEGA Beekeepers Club since January 2022. Madison writes beautiful bee poetry and has been keeping bees for five years.
Sophie Raburn
2022 Secretary and Volunteer Coordinator. Sophie was a student at the SBC Beekeeping for Beginners School in 2021. She caught her first swarm a few months after school and does photography at the Bee Labs. Sophie volunteers at SBC events and is Winner of the 2021 SOWEGA Beekeepers Club Rookie Beekeeper of The Year Award.
James Morgan
2022 Member of the board, keeper of two backyard hives and the UGA County Extension Agent in Dougherty County, James provides leadership for the urban horticulture and 4-H livestock programs, as well as the commercial industry in row crops and pecans. He coordinates a Master Gardener Extension Volunteer program and facilitates production meetings with UGA specialists for farmers.
Calvin Powell
Calvin gives presentations about Flow Hives and serves as member of the board with the SOWEGA Beekeepers Club since January 2022.
Dewayne Pitts
Beekeeping School Instructor and member of the board Dewayne Pitts is a long standing member of the SOWEGA Beekeepers Club. He also helps maintain the apiary
at the home of former
President, Jimmy Carter.
Honorary Lifetime Member
Don Geisman, winner of the 2022 Lifetime Membership Award. Beekeeping School Instructor, Bee Lab Mentor, Apiary Inspector and so much more, Don has given countless hours to educating students about bees and beekeeping. It is an honor to recognize his hard work and efforts with this award.
