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We are pleased and honored to announce the results of the KSBA Board of Director Elections. Complete biographies and pictures of each Board member can be found here. Congratulations to each individual and thank you in advance for your volunteer service to support Kentucky beekeepers.

Elected by the Membership at the Fall Conference on Saturday, November 15, 2025

     Laurie Eiden – Director

     Steve Hahus – Director

     Chris Palmer – Director

     Elizabeth Rossi – Director

     Troy Simpson – Director

     Joe Taylor – Director

Elected by the Sitting Board on Friday, November 14, 2025

     Theresa Martin – President

     Laura Sparkman – Vice President

     Dave Foster – Treasurer

     Jessica Mayes – Assistant to the Treasurer

     Julie Steber – Sergeant-at-Arms

Appointed by President Martin After Election Concluded

     Ray Bowman – Director

Education Coordinator Chair and 2026 Conference Planning Committee Member

     Arron Redmond

The 2025 Fall Conference on November 15 reached a heartfelt peak during the awards ceremony, when Dr. Thomas Webster was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award for an incredible 50 years of research and service to the art and science of beekeeping. His decades of curiosity and commitment shaped beekeeping worldwide, inspiring generations of beekeepers and researchers. Read more of Dr. Webster's contributions here. Congratulations, Doc Webster!

Kentucky Bee Themed LicenSe Plate

The eagerly awaited "Protect Kentucky Bees" license plate is now available at your local county clerk's office and to order online.  Click here to order! KSBA sponsored a honey bee and pollinator specialty license plate for the state of Kentucky, picking from plate designs submitted and voted upon by citizens of Kentucky. The plate is available to purchase.  Anyone in Kentucky can purchase the license plate. When you select the "Protect Kentucky Bees" plate, $10 goes to KSBA which supports beekeeper education, awareness of legislation that is favorable to beekeepers, and supporting research that improves bee health.

Sharing the spotlight were this year’s co–Beekeepers of the Year, R. Scott Moore and Jake Barker, recognized for their outstanding contributions in legislation favorable to Kentucky beekeepers, outreach, and education. We invite you to read R. Scott Moore, and Jake Barker’s nomination letters here.

In a sweet finale to the 2025 KSABA Fall Conference, Ms. Bonnie Crawford Joseph was crowned the winner of the Best Tasting Honey in Kentucky. Bonnie of London Kentucky, won best tasting honey from over 35 entries from across the state. Given that  it was beekeepers who were the judges, we can agree that Bonnie has truly the best tasting honey in Kentucky.

KSBA is sponsoring a honey bee and pollinator license plate for the state of Kentucky. The plate will be available to purchase by July, 2025. Anyone in Kentucky can purchase the license plate. Members of Kentucky submitted designs.

Vote for your favorite license plate from this list of 18. Voting is open until March 15, 2025.

This QR code links directly to the voting page.

Congratulations James Cochran: Fall Conference Honey Tasting Winner!

James Cochran of Pikeville has the best tasting honey of the 20 entries from all across the state at the November 9 KSBA conference held in London, Kentucky. The contest was organized by Bonnie Joseph Crawford, President of the Southeastern Kentucky Beekeepers Association. She designed the contest so all entries were anonymous by transferring the honey to identical black jars. Then, all who attended the conference got to taste each of the 20 and pick their favorite.

James' honey received the most votes. This is indeed an honor since beekeepers from all over the state participated in this contest and beekeepers themselves did the blind test vote.

Congratulations, James! We look forward to hopefully tasting more of your honey at the next KSBA Conference in 2025!

Honey tasting contest winner James Cochran with contest organizer Bonnie Joseph Crawford

Congratulations to Theresa Martin, the 2024 Beekeeper of the Year! Theresa Martin is a Cornell Master Beekeeper and the author of Dead Bees Don't Make Honey: 10 Tips for Healthy Productive Bees, available via Amazon. She has been on the KSBA Board for 5 years were she filled multiple roles such as Secretary, Webmaster, BeeLines Editor, and now Vice President.

The Kentucky State Fair is August 15 to August 25. The new 2024 Pricing Guide is now posted on the State Fair page, along with other updated information.