ESCAROSA BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

Maxwell (Max) Kimmons - PRESIDENT

My father gave me my first hive when I was 10 years old, he was a beekeeper most of his life. He still visits and always wants to see the bee yard, in September of this year he was 94 years old.

I have been a beekeeper off and on most of my life. In 1970 while living in South Carolina I had the pleasure of working with Mr. H. O. Morris part time, a queen breeder and package bee producer of Hardeeville, South Carolina, that is were I was first exposed to the Cordovan queens, it was love at first sight. I have always enjoyed Queen rearing, and still rear Cordovan queens today.

After 4 years in the Navy, I went to work for a communications company in South Carolina in 1963. Almost twenty-five years later I return home to Pensacola and started my own Company, “MCR Communication Inc,” in 1984 and sold it in 1992. I'm presently working for North America Telecommunication Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as the Southeastern Operations Director and enjoy the benefits of working out of a Home Office here in Pensacola.

I joined The Florida State and Escarosa Beekeeping Association in 1992 and attended the 2001 Florida State Beekeepers convention this year, in Gainesville, Florida.

ESCAROSA BEEKEEPERS ASSOCIATION

 Bruce McDonald - VICE-PRESIDENT 

           Bruce McDonald has been a beekeeper since 1990, and plans to develop training programs for beginning beekeepers in the future. He has thirty-five years experience in training instructors of instructors in the military, business, industry and at universities.  He enlisted in the Air Force in 1954 and retired as a Major in 1974.  Having earned a doctorate in education at Auburn University in 1976, he went on to teach instructional skills to university faculty and teachers at Southern Illinois University until 1984, then entering the business world at GE's nuclear training center in Illinois.  He left for high tech training after five years and was involved in computer-based training and customized training until 1995, at which time he  formed his own company, Paradigm Training Systems Inc, continuing doing what he does best. Considering himself semi-retired, he receives social security and continues to run his business. Upon moving to Pensacola three years ago, he immediately joined The Florida State and Escarosa Beekeeping Association.