Meet Our Bee Team
Sharon Schmidt
Research Informed and
Passion Driven
Founder, Sharon Schmidt is fond of saying that "Honey was my Gateway Drug into Beekeeping". It triggered all the memories of her childhood fascination with bees. She came by that fascination honestly as she is the granddaughter of midwestern farmer/ dairy producers who were also beekeepers. She earned her Masters Degree in Nursing at the University of Illinois Medical Center. Her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology was earned at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and she taught in University settings. She served on the Headstart Board in Eastern Oregon, served as the President of the Eastern Illinois National Nurses' Society on Addictions and worked with patients suffering addictions and emotional illness for decades. She taught and published various journal articles on addictions, recovery and mental health, worked with hundreds of students and later, thousands of Veterans. Her Beekeeping practice and research interests lie in the areas of soil health, ethical beekeeping, honey sensory analysis, mindfulness, education of underserved populations, honeybee nutrition, recognizing and minimizing the effects of pesticides, regenerative agriculture, regenerative beekeeping and opportunities for women in beekeeping. She is certified at the Master Beekeeper level through the University of Montana and a member of the Pollinator Partnership Bee Friendly Farming Advisory Board.
Sharon Schmidt
Founder & President
Former Director,
Col. Pam Mindt (r)
Service with Distinction
Col. Pamela Mindt (r) is a former Beekeeper residing in Oregon. She has served her country with distinction and has been awarded the Bronze Star for her work as a commander in Iraq. She was awarded a Meritorious Service medal for her work at Guantanamo. Col. Mindt obtained her Masters Degree in social work from the University of Nebraska in 1983. In addition to working with Pollinators, she keeps goats, horses and is also involved in dog and cat rescue.
Col. Pamela Mindt (r)
Former Director
Director,
Dolly Warden
Educator and Activist
Dolly Warden is lovingly called the "Grandmother of Beekeeping" in the Rogue Valley. Coming from a beekeeping family, she often helped her father with the beehives when she was a youngster. She received her Masters Degree in Library Science at Kent State and later earned her Master of Divinity Degree and a Certification in Permaculture.
Dolly has also worked in human services, founding the Initiative for Trafficking Survivors in Dallas. She has founded and worked in programs for immigrants and survivors of torture.
Dolly is bilingual, speaks Spanish and is a Reiki practitioner.
She is deeply involved in environmental and pollinator health issues and under the Direction of College of the Melissae, began the Bee City USA "movement" in the Rogue Valley, initiating Talent, Oregon as the second Bee City in the United States. Dolly is also a member of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association, Southern Oregon Beekeepers Association and an advising member for the College of the Melissae.
Dolly Warden
Current Board Member
Advisor & Former Director,
Mary Billings James
Rogue Valley Agriculturalist
Mary Billings James, a founding member is the resident owner of one of the oldest family farms in the valley and can trace her family history in the Rogue valley over 150 years. She studied Food Science and Technology at Oregon State University then spent 15 years as a Federal Meat Inspector in California. She switched gears to start a family with husband Larry and eventually became active in the schools and church. In 2005, the timing was right to return to Ashland to take care of her aging father on the family farm. She now operates the historic Billings Farm. The farm has been home to many bee swarms for decades. Mary raises Angus Beef, goats, chickens, ducks, geese, llamas and even peacocks. Her hobbies are singing and enjoying extended family.
Mary Billings James
Former Director/Treasurer
Board Advisor
Former Director,
Chris Sohl
Honey Bee Rescue
Secretary, Chris Sohl is a Beekeeper and Youth Minister in Ashland. His love of bees and compassion for people distinguish his work in the community. He is passionate about Honey Bee Rescue and is an ardent climber who has been known to scale trees of 40 feet or more to rehome honeybee swarms. Chris is an artist and an activist, advocating for the environment and it's creatures.
Chris Sohl
Former Board Secretary
Former Director,
Kelly Leatherwood
Educator and Master Gardener
Past Treasurer Kelly Leatherwood (on the right) pictured with Volunteer Taylor Tolen earned her Bachelors of Science in Biology. She moved to Oregon 7 years ago, acquired a small ranch and completed the Apprentice level of the OSU Master Beekeeper program. She also earned her certificate as a Master Gardener through OSU. Kelly is an insightful educator who works as a substitute teacher. An avid gardener, she creates beautiful outdoor areas. She says she has learned the Science of Beekeeping and now strives to perfect its art.
Kelly Leatherwood
Former Director/Treasurer
Advisor & Former Director,
Sidney Hamlett
Earth Steward
Past Board Member Sydney Hamlett graduated from Texas A&M with a BS in Bio-environmental Sciences and a Masters in Vineyard Sustainability from RMIT, Melbourne, Australia. Back in Texas, she worked with wineries to improve vineyard practices. She moved to Seattle and then Oregon with her husband and together they run a farm in the Applegate. They help other farmers understand the relationship between their plants and the soil. Her companies include Infinite Tree Nursery and LSH Earth Conservation. Sydney maintains that, "Pollinators are such a visible part of a thriving ecosystem and a great way to introduce young earthlings to stewardship!"
Sydney Hamlett
Former Board Director
Board Advisor
Former Director,
Natalie Wilson
Farmer & Educator
Former Secretary, Natalie Wilson, is a founding member of Cascade Girl. She is a Farmer and Educator. Natalie received her Master's Degree in Education from Southern Oregon University in 2017. She taught Biology for Southern Oregon University and was a substitute teacher for Southern Oregon Education Service District. She currently teaches sixth graders. She is also a Yoga Teacher at Rasa Yoga and Wellness. She is passionately interested in soil health.
Natalie Wilson
Former Board Secretary
Advisor and Former Director, Lilly Weichberger
Mead Maker
Board Member, Lilly Weichberger sources flavorful honeys and as co-owner of Oran Mor Meadery in Roseburg, Oregon, she invents magical Meads. She has developed her abilities in Sensory Analysis to a fine skill. As an instructor at the University of California, Davis she is simply,,, inspiring!
Lilly Weichberger
Board Advisor
Board Advisor
Bill Mansfield, JD
Bill Mansfield passed the Oregon State Bar and began his legal career in 1953. He’s an elected member of the Rogue Valley Transportation District board, and serves on the Medford Planning Commission.He also teaches a class at Southern Oregon University.
Board Advisor
Bill Mansfield, JD
VP, Mike Miller
Beewhisperer & Educator
Board Member, Mike Miller is a Grants Pass native who grew up in the dairy industry. As a youth he milked 105 cattle before and after school and on the weekends. He shares the quality of industriousness with bees which he has kept for most of his life. He has always had a love of teaching and is an expert woodworker and hivemaker. He supplies bees, beehives and education in locations all around the Pacific Northwest. He even has a beehive in his house! Mike's background as an Oregon Firefighter and "Smoke Jumper" provide him with a love of flying things and an appreciation for team work.
Mike Miller
Current Board Director and
Vice President
Raphael Aragon
Swarmcatcher and Bee Breeder
Raphael Aragon has a skillset that includes finding, selecting and repurposing wood, woodworking, hive-making, and swarm catching. He enjoys teaching and readily connects with kids in schools.
Raphael Aragon
Former Board Director and Treasurer
Current Volunteer
Former Director,
Kristin Mathes
Visionary Beekeeper
Kristin moved to Oregon from Colorado in 2008. She fell in love with the idea of beekeeping many years earlier and decided it would be the first activity she would look into when she moved. She loves bees of all kinds. In 2015 she completed an Apprenticeship at OSU but started a Masters Degree program shortly after that, which diverted all her attention for a few years. She started keeping/hosting bees again in the spring, is involved in education, advocacy and celebration efforts. Kristin works for a non-profit which facilitates eye tissue and organ donation for the PNW and finds the restoration of peoples' sight to be incredibly rewarding!
Kristin Mathes
Former Board Secretary
Treasurer, Paul Davitt
Leader in Beekeeping
US Veteran
Board Treasurer, Paul Davitt pictured here with wife, author and Master Beekeeper, Katharina and some of his pack is the immediate past President of the Klamath Basin Beekeepers, a regional club affiliated with the Oregon State Beekeepers Association. He held that position for a decade, leading hundreds of people to adopt good beekeeping practices. He obtained his Bachelor's of Science in operations management from Oregon Institute of Technology in 2016. As a US Veteran and former Staff Sargent, he contributes to the Bee Heroes America Program by teaching other US Veterans about Beekeeping and helping them to reconnect in meaningful ways
Paul Davitt
Current Board Treasurer
Board Director
Kellie Jussel
Kellie Jussell attended Shasta Community College, obtaining her Associate of Arts degree in Psychology. While there, she became a member of Phi Theta Kappa honor society serving as Vice President, Recording Officer and finally, President of the Chapter. She also earned several scholarships, was honored as Student of the year and was named to the National Dean’s List 3 times. After returning to Oregon, she became a founding board member of the nonprofit, 501(c)3, community based Hart Center. Presently she is a caregiver for family and works with an in-home care service company. Her interest in beekeeping was piqued through association with Cascade Girl community outreach and she is a dedicated learner of the craft.
Kellie Jussel
Current Board Director
Debra Moon is a published author and the proprietor of her writing/consulting business, Page One. She holds a Master of Arts in Psychology and a Bilingual Teaching Credential. Debra has spent much of her life immersed in subcultures in Mexico and the USA. She lived in Mexico as a foreign exchange student, traveled to consult with various Western U.S. Native Tribes and worked with diverse populations for the Urban League in Tucson, Arizona. She served as a consultant for National 4-H to assist native youth in inner cities and lived on the Hopi Reservation in Northern Arizona for nine years, where she helped administer programs for youth and economic development. Now, she is a member of the Jackson County Cultural Coalition, writes regularly for the Talent News and Review and works on grants and training classes for the Talent Business Alliance. Debra loves living in Talent, Oregon where she is a board member, outreach coordinator, and grant administrator for the Talent Historical Society.
Consultant
Debra Moon
Former Director
Patti Carothers
Educator and Beekeeper
Board Director, Patti Carothers is passionate about education and beekeeping. Teaching is not just what she does, it is who she is. As Founder and Director of the Alameda County Science and Engineering Fair she helped thousands of kids participate in science and engineering efforts and obtain regional and national recognition. She is a compassionate and skilled leader who will contribute to the Bee Heroes America program.
Patti Carothers
Former Board Director
Former Director
Sandy Wine
Sandy Wine Graduated from Michigan State University with baccalaureate and then a masters degree in English with the intention of becoming a teacher. Subsequently she fell in love with information tech, first attending computing classes at Prince George College in Maryland then the American University in Washington DC. She became a programmer at the Federal Government Department of Congress and served as an information technology systems analyst for the Patent and Trademark Office and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for 20 years, the majority of her 20 years being with NOAA Research Service. Presently she manages the Blue Heron Community Garden in Phoenix, Oregon and was a member of the Phoenix Garden Club.
Sandy Wine
Former Board Secretary
Former Director
Treasa Cordero
Commercial Beekeeper
Treasa has been involved in Beekeeping on a commercial and hobbyist basis for the better part of twenty years. She has a passion for instilling confidence in learners. Treasa taught students at all levels and has also been an instructor at a collegiate level.
