 | Blake Shook, CEO, Desert Creek Honey Blake started his beekeeping journey 20 years ago at 12 years old as a small scale hobby beekeeper. Over the past 2 decades, the business has grown significantly with the help of an incredible team. It is now a migratory commercial beekeeping operation with 10,000 hives, a bulk bee supply company (Desert Creek Bulk Bees) , a honey packing company (Desert Creek Honey), a chain of hobby beekeeping stores (The Bee Supply) and a commercial bee supply store (Commercial Bee Supply). Blake married his high school sweetheart in 2011, and has two beautiful daughters. He also serves on the National Honey Board and on the board of the American Beekeeping Federation. |
 | Justin Sanchez, Chief Technology Officer, Terra Vera Justin Sanchez, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Terra Vera, is a visionary in sustainable agriculture technology. With a background in materials science and engineering, he's dedicated to revolutionizing agriculture with practical, clean, and reliable technologies. He is a New Mexico native from Raton, New Mexico, and co-founded Terra Vera in Albuquerque. Justin holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree from MIT and an MBA in manufacturing leadership. His career started at Intel as a Factory Solutions Manager; then, he contributed to advanced solar tech at Advent Solar. He previously served as CTO at MIOX Corporation and as Director of Portfolio Revitalization at De Nora Water Technologies before founding Terra Vera. At Terra Vera, Justin's mission is to make agriculture more sustainable. He's driving practical change, making Terra Vera a leader in eco-conscious farming and transforming agriculture. |
 | Heather Broccard-Bell, Honey Bee Health Researcher, NOD Apiary Products Ltd. Heather grew up in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, but spent much of her early adult life in Alberta, attending Olds College to study Equine Science, and then working on ranches near Granum and Nanton. She went on to complete an undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Regina before returning to Alberta once more, where she studied Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour at the University of Lethbridge (M.Sc. in 2008 and Ph.D. in 2014). Heather began conducting honey bee research as a postdoctoral fellow under James Nieh at the University of California San Diego in 2014, focusing on vibrational communication (e.g., waggle dancing) and the effects of pesticides and pathogens on learning and behaviour. Heather transitioned into industry in 2021, accepting the position of Honey Bee Health Researcher at NOD Apiary Products Ltd in Trenton, Ontario. Her current role is a combination of field and laboratory research, education, product development and testing – and a LOT of beekeeping. |
 | Dr. Judy Wu-Smart, Associate Professor & Extension Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Dr. Judy Wu-Smart (Associate Professor & Extension Specialist) has been the director of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Bee Lab since 2015. At UNL, she and her team have been investigating persistent losses of honey bee colonies across multiple University of Nebraska-Lincoln research apiaries in Mead, NE. Investigations into bee losses uncovered a novel practice of disposing surplus outdated and pesticide-treated crop seeds through ethanol production, a disposal practice that was being utilized by seed companies across North America. The improper practice caused unprecedented pesticide exposure problems and contamination in the surrounding air, water, soil, and plants. As a result, UNL Bee Lab has been working with beekeepers, policy makers, and legislators to address systemic pesticide pollution and impacts on pollinators. Community engagement and promoting science literacy around these complicated farm-to-table issues are also key components of their research and extension education programs. To find out more visit: https://entomology.unl.edu/bee-lab and https://gpmb.unl.edu/ or follow us on Facebook. |
 | Dr. Michael Chae, Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Applied Research Dr. Michael Chae is the Business Development Lead for the Circular and Clean Technologies portfolio with Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) Applied Research. In this role, Dr. Chae interfaces with companies, industry associations, collaborating academic institutions, and government representatives to develop interdisciplinary applied research projects in circular and clean technologies. Dr. Chae holds a PhD in Molecular Genetics and has over 10 years of experience working in the bioindustrial sector, with a strong aptitude for developing and managing applied research programs facilitated through liaising with collaborators, devising research strategies, negotiating contracts, and crafting research proposals. In addition, through his previous role as the Operations Director of the Biomass Energy Network, Dr. Chae has facilitated knowledge transfer and collaborative research amongst academic, industry, and government stakeholders engaged in the bioindustrial sector within Alberta and abroad. |
 | Dr. Rassol Bahreini, Senior Researcher, University of Alberta. Rassol Bahreini (Senior researcher): I have been a honey bee researcher for over 30 years . I have received my MSc and PhD in Entomology from the University of Ahvaz (Iran, 1993) and the University of Manitoba (Canada, 2015), respectively. In my previous positions, as Apiculture Research Scientist in the Animal Science Research Institute-Iran, and Alberta Agricultural and Forestry-Canada, I carried out many studies of honey bee biology, control of parasites and pathogens, integrated pest management, and studies of Varroacides. In addition to teaching graduate and undergraduate students, my extension activities encouraged beekeepers to adopt new and improved methods of honey bee IPM to manage pests and diseases, using a variety of methods. My recent projects were focused on new miticides and antibiotics to assist producers in solving challenges related to honey bee parasites and diseases. At the University of Alberta, I will continue my research on the development of new miticides and antibiotics for control Varroa mites and Nosema disease. |
 | Dr. Renata Labuschagne, ABC Tech Transfer Program Lead, ABC. Dr. Renata Labuschagne joined the Alberta Beekeepers Commission (ABC) in 2019 as the Alberta Tech Transfer Program lead. Before joining the ABC team, Renata was a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Steve Pernal’s apiculture research lab at Beaverlodge Research Farm, Agriculture Agri-food Canada, studying the inter-correlation of several important pathogens and phenotypes, so as to better understand drivers of colony health and productivity. Renata received her Ph.D. in Entomology in 2015 from the University of Minnesota studying under Dr. Mara Spivak. Previously, she received her B.Sc. in Animal Science from the Universidade Federal of Ceara, Brazil. Renata’s doctoral research focused on evaluating: 1) the seasonal benefits of propolis (a bee-produced resinous material) on the health and immunity of honey bees; 2) the role that types of resins play as a defense against two highly infectious brood pathogens, Ascosphaera apis (a fungus causing chalkbrood disease) and Paenibacillus larvae (a bacterium causing American foulbrood disease); and 3) the effects of the propolis “envelope” within the hive as a natural defense against disease. |
 | Samantha Muirhead, Provincial Apiculturist, Government of Alberta. Born and raised in Alberta, Samantha graduated from the University of Alberta in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science specializing in Animal Biology. Throughout her degree, she developed a keen interest for everything insect and parasite related. In 2005, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry hired her to work with her favorite insect as an apiculture research assistant. Since then, she has been a part of countless research projects and surveillance programs aimed at bee health in Alberta. Projects ranged from Nosema control methods, to Varroa mite treatments, to supplementary feeding and honey quality. She also worked as an apiculture inspector for the province, ran her own colonies for a number of years, and supervised the Bee Health Assurance Team until 2019 when she became the Provincial Apiculturist for Alberta |
 | Dr. Shelley Hoover, University of Lethbridge. Dr. Shelley Hoover is an Apiculture and Pollination Scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Lethbridge. Her research focuses on honey bee health and management, queen production and breeding, and nutrition, as well as canola pollination. Previously, Shelley was the head of the Apiculture Program for the Province of Alberta and has held Research Associate positions at the Universities of Canterbury (Christchurch, NZ) and British Columbia (Vancouver and Beaverlodge, Canada). She completed her PhD on honey bee worker ovary development, nutrition, and behaviour at Simon Fraser University. Shelley is also the current President of the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists. |
 | Dr. Stephen Pernal, Officer-in-Charge, Beaverlodge Research Farm, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Dr. Pernal received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Manitoba and was a postdoctoral fellow at Simon Fraser University. Since 2001, he has been employed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as a Research Scientist in Beaverlodge, Alberta where he leads Canada’s federal apiculture research program and also serves as Officer-in-Charge. His work has been diverse, and has included the detection, control and management strategies for AFB, chalkbrood, Nosema ceranae, as well as emerging parasites of honey bees. Steve has also been an integral member of three successive Genome Canada projects evaluating markers for resistance to bee diseases and Varroa destructor. He formerly served as President of the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists and is a contributing member to international bodies related to honey bee health. In 2017, he was awarded AAFC’s Gold Harvest award for Innovation, Collaboration and Service Excellence. In 2019, he served as the Scientific Program Chair for Apimondia 2019 in Montreal, Canada. |
 | Stephanie Constable, CAIP, Opinion Research Lead, Earnscliffe Strategies Stephanie brings nearly 25 years of experience providing opinion and market research informed strategic advice to Earnscliffe clients. She is a seasoned researcher on public affairs and public policy issues and has conducted studies on most major policy issues. Over the years, Stephanie has provided expert insight into the design and analysis of hundreds of qualitative and quantitative research studies. Her expertise lies in the development and implementation of research supporting communications, branding, digital and advertising strategies. An accomplished moderator and fluently bilingual, Stephanie regularly facilitates discussion groups, online communities, consultations and elite interviews in both official languages. In 2015, Stephanie returned to Earnscliffe, where she began her career in the late 1990s, to co-lead the Opinion Research practice. Prior to her return, she was a Senior Consultant with Decima Research (later renamed Harris/Decima and Nielsen) and rose to the role of Senior Vice President in 2007. From 2007 to 2014, she co-led the company’s Canadian Public Affairs practice. Over the course of her career, Stephanie has worked on a wide array of issues including agriculture, defence, education, energy, environment, finance, health, natural resources, security, telecommunications, transportation, and travel and tourism. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Carleton University. She is an active member of the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) and the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). She is a Certified Analytics and Insights Professional (CAIP), a designation that recognizes a high level of knowledge and capability in marketing research theory and practice and adherence to rigorous ethical standards. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Earnscliffe Board of Directors. |