Meet the 2024 CCBA Board Members

	PRESIDENT Julia Kopacz Born and raised in Apex, Julia began keeping bees shortly after her father passed away when she inherited his beekeeping equipment. Her mother “gifted” her a weekend course in beekeeping. Begrudgingly, she attended and purchased her first hive. About a year later, Julia joined the Chatham County Beekeepers Association and got her first mentor. Mike had a plethora of knowledge and offered great practical advice with hands-on experience. Once her confidence grew, Julia began to find great joy in beekeeping. Mentoring was instrumental to her success. Although Mike played a huge part in her initial success, many others have come along the way to teach, encourage and support her endeavor. Had not a small army stepped up and befriended Julia, she strongly doubts she would still be keeping bees. Almost 10 years after getting her first hive she still enjoys inspecting them, watching the girls interact and learning more and more from experienced colleagues. Julia has served on the Board as a director, VP & currently works with the NCSBA as the Events Coordinator.
	VICE PRESIDENT Jennifer Welsh Jennifer has been a beekeeper since 2016 and is a certified Journeyman Beekeeper. She has completed the requirements to be a Honey Judge Candidate with the American Honey Show Training Council and is very near to completing the requirements to be certified as a Honey Judge. She is also the administrator for the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association’s Facebook page, and a member of Chatham County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. She attends the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association Conference annually. In her many years of experience with beekeeping, she has met some wonderful people with vast amounts of knowledge whom she looks forward to inviting to be speakers at the Chatham County Beekeepers Association’s monthly meetings.
	TREASURER Pat Weisbrodt Pat started beekeeping in 2007 with the 8-week course that Debbie Roos offered. She took it very seriously and almost didn’t get bees right away. She didn’t know if she would be able to devote the time necessary in order to be a responsible beekeeper but she did know she wanted hygienic bees. As a retired nurse, Pat knew only too well what resistance could occur with medications given too frequently. It was going to be beekeeping without chemicals or nothing. Pat started with Minnesota Hygienics and over the years she basically raised her own queens but has purchased different hygienic queens along the way. Pat had many good mentors working on the team that cares for the 4 C’s bees and never missed a state meeting, even attending EAS a few times. Pat received her Master Beekeeper Certificate in 2015 and started keeping bees for clients. Pat felt if she spread hygienic hives around the county then better stock would be had by all. Pat has helped friends and mentored many new beekeepers over the years. Pat has held the offices of president, VP, and treasurer, been in charge of the swarm line, the 4 C’s bees, helped with numerous bee schools as well as pollinator day. Pat is thankful for living in this county with a lot of organic growers and great beekeepers.
	SECRETARY Sharon McConnell Sharon has lived in Chatham County for over 30 years and is a retired lawyer. Her family has had various livestock over the years and thought about adding honeybees for a long time. In 2018, after becoming empty nesters, she and her husband attended a one-day beekeeping course in Lee County that really ignited a spark for beekeeping. Due to weather and a late start, they did not get bees that year, and then attended the excellent CCBA Bee School and bought 2 nucs in 2019. That was a rough year, but starting in 2020 all has gone much better for their bees. Sharon credits the wonderful resources of CCBA with helping her figure out some things and appreciates the opportunity to contribute to CCBA by serving as Secretary.
	DIRECTOR Myra Halpin Myra is a thirty-year resident of Chatham County and a five-year beekeeper. She has served on the CCBA State Fair Committee for the past two years and became a beekeeper after her colleagues at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics gave her two hives at retirement.
	DIRECTOR Valarie Pallatto Valarie grew up in rural Pennsylvania. She has lived in the beautiful state of North Carolina for 25 years. Her passion and appreciation for honey bees motivated her to attend the 2019 CCBA Introduction to Beekeeping Course. She began beekeeping in 2020 and has 4 colonies and several smaller queen castle colonies. She loves constantly learning new things about honey bees and beekeeping. She is a graduate of NC State College of Veterinary Medicine and is very excited to be part of the CCBA board.
	DIRECTOR Skip Story Skip recently retired as a Captain with the North Chatham Volunteer Fire Department and still works a second job part-time as a contract programmer for clinical trial analyses. During his career with the Fire Department, Skip worked with a 3^rd generation beekeeper who also provided contract pollination and raised queens for purchase. After years of talking about it, he decided to start his own hives. If there is one concept Skip learned from talking with other beekeepers, it is that education is key. He took classes, joined Chatham County Beekeepers, and connected with a mentor. Skip recently passed the NCSBA Certified Beekeeper level exam and plans to continue his education and training for the next level (Journeyman).