Directory: Officers, Board and ACBA Members
ACBA Leadership + E-mail Information
2017
President: Randy Baldwin - jeffreyb@skybest.com
Vice President: Helen Baldwin - jeffreyb@skybest.com
Secretary: Doug Ehrhardt - dehrhardt@skybest.com
Treasurer: Bill Naser - billnaser@skybest.com
Program Chair: Maggie McClelland - maghmcclelland@gmail.com
Past President: Harry Galer - harry.galer@gmail.com
Board Member: Paulette Lawrence - paulettepixiegoddess@gmail.com
Board Member: H. S. Greene - moldings56@yahoo.com
Board Member: Jeffrey Taylor - retinacowboy@gmail.com
Randy Baldwin
ACBA President ('15)
Randy Baldwin and his wife, Helen, originally hailed from Fort Worth, Texas. Randy’s love of sports (speedskating, bicycle racing, unicycle riding, football, baseball, etc., etc., etc.) and nutrition led him to major in physical education and health before initiating a football/occasional baseball coaching career that spanned a lotta years from Fort Worth, to Columbia, South Carolina, then to Caldwell, Watauga, and Wilkes counties in North Carolina. He and Helen and their family landed in Ashe over 19 years ago and vowed to stay put. After coaching too many years to count, he put the balls away for the last time in the spring of 2013 and switched gears from the circus of education to the miracle of bees without skipping a beat. He and his brother had bees as teens in Fort Worth, but with the insufficient protective gear (way) back then, he wasn’t overly motivated to continue being a stinger magnet. He’s an official journeyman beekeeper now, though, and after a loss of both hives the first year, he’s been pleased - and relieved - to have been greeted by some industrious bees in the spring the past couple of years. He’s also building up a business assembling wooden ware, extracting honey, and teaching introductory beekeeping classes at Wilkes Community College/Wilkes campus. He enjoys helping new beekeepers and looks forward to working even more with fellow beekeepers (and learning from them!) as the ACBA president for 2015. In his spare 'retirement' time, Randy continues to work his magic in the kitchen. Helen's happy to let him because she's no fool.
Helen Baldwin
ACBA Vice President
Helen Baldwin and her husband, Randy, left their Fort Worth stomping grounds in 1985, arriving in Ashe County after stints in Columbia, SC, and Lenoir one week before a rather significant blizzard hit at the end of 1995. It’s been ‘never dull’ ever since! Helen was a special ed teacher for several years in Columbia before retiring to be a mama, school volunteer, and football coach’s wife and tending to more than a few other little items along the way. She’s written a book (The Jeffrey Journey) and worked on myriad music projects with her mother, and their rental cabin (Angel Mountain Cabin) and carpet dry-cleaning business keep her out of trouble most of the time. When it looked like Randy was close to easing into retirement from education, they celebrated with Mexican food and decided to add beekeeping to the mix to keep them young and alert... or something. Randy and his brother had kept a few bees when they were teenagers; thankfully, the protective gear has improved since then, as some of those memories weren’t so fond! Helen and Randy’s first two hives failed to make it through the winter, but last year’s girls did fine, and they’ve actually caught a swarm or two this year to add to the family (definitely more fun than watching them fly OFF). Randy, a doting Bee Daddy, has kept himself buzzing by assembling hive hardware, extracting honey (nice payback!), helping fellow beekeepers as he can, and enjoying the newest family addition... a pup named Honey!
Doug Ehrhardt
ACBA Secretary
Doug Ehrhardt came to Ashe County to retire "full time" in 2007 after a 30 year career in medical entomology in the U.S. Navy. He received a direct commission after completing a masters degree in insect toxicology at the University of Missouri...for 18 years he was assigned to various operational tours of duty in both the U.S. and overseas. The Navy also sent him to out-service training for a Ph.D. degree at the Oklahoma State University. During his final 12 years on active duty he served in various R&D assignments. Upon retiring in '07 to Ashe County, Doug's wife Cathy - a retired advanced biology teacher - suggested beekeeping as a way to fill our day! While Doug's formal education was in horseflies (family Tabanidae), our journey - now in it's 4th full year - has been challenging, rewarding, frustrating and fun! Doug is sorry he didn't begin sooner, but knows full well that there is always more to learn. Once that first harvest of honey was in jars, we were hooked.
Bill Naser
ACBA Treasurer
Bill Naser retired in 2008 after a 40 year career in military, airline and corporate aviation. Originally from Michigan, he and his wife Barb moved to Ashe County from Pennsylvania. Retirement brings time and opportunities not available while being employed. Two years ago Bill joined the Ashe Beekeepers Association and, with the help and guidance of Helen and Randy Baldwin, bought two hives. He has since caught a swarm to add a third hive. He is in his third year of beekeeping. Bill looks forward to more time with the Ashe Beekeepers Association and its members.
Harry Galer
ACBA Past President ('13-'14)
Harry Galer moved to Ashe County in 2002 from Annapolis, MD after retiring from the Clark Construction Group, as their Corporate Director of Health and Safety. Harry continued to work from his Ashe County office for Zurich Services Corp as a Construction Risk Engineering consultant retiring full time in 2010. He now enjoys caring for his bee colonies, gardening and brewing a mild barley drink from time to time. Harry also volunteers at the New River Conservancy as a North Carolina Water Watcher, monitoring the quality of water entering the New River.
He became interested in the care of bees after watching a video showing the current threat to the health of bees throughout the world. Since then he has had bee colonies as guests at his home in the Chestnut Hill area and has taken courses at NC State and here in Ashe County to learn more about the care and management of bee colonies.
Members
First and Last Names
Deborah Baldridge
Helen Baldwin
Randy Baldwin
Jim Bartlett
LeVonda Clouse (new)
Bob Cole
Audie Ernst
Doug Ehrhardt
Doug Galloway
Teri Goodman
H.S. Greene
Doug Hart
Kimberly Isler
Richard Isler
Ray Jones
George Katsoudas
Linda Katsoudas
Paulette Lawrence
Shirley Long
Greg Lyons
Ben Massey
Darlene Massey
Maggie McClelland
Cindy Miller
Danny Miller
Marna Napoleon
Bill Naser
Johnny Parsons
Greg Phillips
Deirdra Piegari
Joe Piegari
Raven Pruitt
Jim Rash
Ben Ray
Julie Smith
Beth Sorrell
Matt Soucie
David Tanner
Jeff Taylor
Susan Taylor
James Wilkes
Sullivan Wilkes
Paul Woods