John Lewis -Education Coordinator 
John started beekeeping in 2002 after reading Richard Taylor’s wonderful book, “The Joy of Beekeeping.”  Alone with Mike & Donielle Rininger and a few others, he helped start BONS.  He’s served as the Education Coordinator for BONS’s Beginning Beekeeping Class for about 15 years.  He’s also served two terms as president, and one team as state VP.  He keeps about 30 hives these days.  
John is married to Nancy, now for well over 30 years.  Together, they have three adult children. 

Doug Koch -  Communication, Print Media & Communiy Speaker Coordinator

Beekeeping since 2008 with 2-7 hives depending on the year.  Retired from the food industry have lived in NJ, NY, SD, MN, AL, and now  Winchester VA for 30 years, still not a local though. Married 46 years two children, 5 grandkids including twin girls. Reason for beekeeping is we lost our standard poodle of 16 years and wanted a pet.....or 40,000+.
Originated woodenware purchase/weekend; Assisted with website beginning; Mentor to many;  believer in TEAMWORK.  Other Activities: Volunteers at WMC; Enjoy baking bread from scratch with yeast or sourdough; Gardening and sharing plants with others.

Rick Garfola - Club Librarian

”You need a hobby.”  That is what I heard when I announced my retirement after 35 years of government service. So I heeded their advice and did some research. I landed on beekeeping. I took the beginners course from John Lewis in 2018 and was hooked. I have three hives which I name them after each university that my children attended. My wife, Dana, my daughter, Elizabeth, and twin boys, Adam and Evan have become enthusiasts and help me. I’m originally from the Pittsburgh area, but the beautiful Shenandoah Valley has been my home for 20+ years. However, all my sports teams are still in Pittsburgh.
Just one final thought, raising honey bees is like a mystery novel. You get all the clues and you won’t always figure them out. Keep at it because it is very rewarding.

Kelly Hoynoski   - Bee Package Coordinator 
Born in upstate New York and moved to Northern Virginia in 1990 and settled in Front Royal in 1996. Kelly lives with her husband and son an a small plot. She has been a Registered Nurse for 34 years and was a Registered Echocatdiologist for 25 years. She's currently a School Nurse.
Kelly is in her 5th year as a beekeeper and enjoys using her hive products to make soaps, lotions, balms and candles. Other interests include cooking, gardening, raising chickens, spinning animal fibers, and listening to live music. She volunteers on a regular basis working with people who have visual impairments for an organization known as N.O.A.H. The National Organization of Albinism and Hypipigmentation.

Dennis Ridings - Woodenware Coordinator
                Bio to follow

Doug Morris - Extractor Coordinator - Blandy Farm
 
                  Bio to follow

 

Laurie Shifflett  - Club Photographer

Greetings from Mountain Falls! After moving from Arlington in 1973 to pursue a degree in Animal Husbandry and Horse and Livestock Management I fell in love with our valley and stayed. Over the year's I have farmed, worked on a racehorse farm, and raised chickens and hogs before switching to retail management for 13 years. I was Secretary / Treasurer for the MidAlantic chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation while also serving as representative of the Frederick Co Extension Homemakers to the Frederick County Youth Fair for a 13 year period. I returned to college in 2004 to pick up an associates degree before my health started to give its opinion on what I should and should not do.  I found bee's after a death in my family when I needed a reason to keep on keeping on. Because of health I started with a Top Bar Hive, oh I love my Top Bars. Now I am up to 4 Top Bars, then this spring I was blessed with 6 Long Langstoph's and then we had 12 swarms and had to add ,sigh, box hives. This winter we will be building a cathedral Hive , because as you know, All Hives Matter, each type teaches us new things about our bee's.Each type has positive and negative.Only by thinking "What if ?" Can we grow in our passion. The one thing my bee's have taught me in the last 5 years is they don't read any books...they like doing it their way.😉

Denise Vowell - FaceBook Coordinator

I'm a 4th year beekeeper with 9 hives at present, and spend my springs catching swarms. I'm a retired Army officer and judge who settled in Virginia in 1990. Before beekeeping, my passions were My grandsons, hiking, advising teen scout units (troops and crews) and gardening. I finished the entire Appalachian Trail in 2018., fulfilling a dream I've had since 1974. Now, I love teaching people about honey bees, and have recruited both grandsons (ages 7 & 4) into helping. Each has his own hive. I sill spend a lot of time hiking, run a food pantry, and am slowly turning my two acres into a pollinator heaven.                            

Rusty Foltz  NUC Group Coordinator

BIO to follow