Below are this year’s nominees for MABA’s annual Beekeeper of the Year honor. All have worked hard this year on behalf of the club and in furtherance of beekeeping in metro Atlanta. Learn more about them below. This year’s winner will be announced at MABA’s annual honey show and potluck dinner on Sunday, Sept. 27 at Westside Provisions District.
SHELLI GODFREY
Nomination #1
Shelli has excelled as an instructor for the Metro Atlanta Beekeepers Association’s Certified Beekeeper and Journeyman programs. She thoughtfully prepares PowerPoint presentations for both certification levels and patiently supports beekeepers who arrive unprepared or struggle with concepts typically expected of second- or third-year participants. Developing these materials and volunteering to teach year after year require significant time and dedication, often with little recognition. She would be an outstanding choice for 2026 Beekeeper of the Year!
Nomination #2
I would like to nominate Shelli Godfrey for MABA Beekeeper of the Year. In addition to caring for her own bees, achieving the level of Master Beekeeper, Shelli has positively influenced the beekeeping community by creating study materials to help people interested in participating in the University of Georgia’s Master Beekeeper program.
Shelli created a PowerPoint presentation, that she has since shared with our club , which has assisted numerous students studying to become Certified beekeepers. But she didn’t stop there she went on to do it all again for those wanting to achieve the Journeyman and Master levels as well. For several years now she has dedicated her time to hold weekly study sessions spanning several months to support her students giving them a distinct advantage. But that isn’t all, beyond the PowerPoints and weekly Zoom meetings she also created a website with additional study materials including quizzes, and coordinated with the program director to ensure the materials she was covering were current and shared her experiences in achieving Master herself. Shelli’s dedication helped countless students achieve their goals of becoming a Certified, Journeyman or Master beekeeper.
Shelli’s willingness to share her knowledge, and offer practical advice encourage us all to become more involved in protecting pollinators.
For these reasons, I strongly recommend Shelli Godfrey for Beekeeper of the Year. She has made a meaningful difference for both bees and beekeepers!
CARDRIAN MASSEY
Cardrian is a relatively new member of our club (and a relatively new beekeeper), but she has already had a huge impact. She attends our monthly meetings, field trips and other events, and frequently volunteers to help make these events successful. This year, Cardrian really stepped up as the volunteer leader of MABA’s Junior Beekeeper program. This is a big responsibility involving coordinating 4-5 programs introducing kids to bees and beekeeping. Cardrian jumped right in learning to manage enrollment, waitlists, supplies, and organizing volunteers, in addition to presenting the program curriculum.
On top of being a wonderful volunteer, Cardrian has also taken great strides in bettering her personal beekeeping and skill set. She has passed her Certified Beekeeper test, and obtained her Georgia Bee Removal license as well. Additionally, she has involved herself with GBA’s prison program. She is always an enthusiastic, positive person to have be a part of any club function, and would be a very worthy club Beekeeper of the Year.
CATHERINE SHANKS
Catherine’s beekeeping journey began with 1 hive in 2018 with her father at just 17 years old. Today, she manages 10 family hives across Sandy Springs and North Georgia, holds a Certified Beekeeper credential, and is studying for her Journeyman certification.
As a member of the Georgia Tech beekeeping club from 2020 to 2025 and its president from 2023–25, Catherine expanded the club apiary and mentored numerous students. She bridged the campus club with MABA by entering GT honey into the MABA Honey Show for the first time in club history, proudly taking home 3rd and 2nd place over the last two years. Though graduated, she continues to help out with hive inspections or whatever else is needed.
Catherine has been a member of MABA since 2021. For the past two years, she has served as a MABA Short Course speaker for “”Lunch with a Beekeeper.”” She has run education tables at the Atlanta Science Festival, Midtown Garden Stroll, Oakland Cemetery’s Spring to Life, and assisted with the Junior Beekeeping program for the first time this year. Interested in all pollinators, she also hosted a native bee house workshop at Georgia Tech, participated in the Georgia Pollinator Census at Autry Mill, and plants dedicated forage.
Catherine’s interest in baking and cooking with honey has resulted in numerous personal awards at the MABA Honey Show and the North American Honey Bee Expo. She recently started a job with Best Bees, where she manages client hives across metro Atlanta, gathers field data for apiary health research, and teaches clients. Catherine is proud to be a young beekeeper, and she hopes to encourage other young people to enjoy the world of beekeeping and pollinator conservation.
LENNY WENTWORTH
Lenny has been an amazing addition to our club in recent years. Along with his wife Holly, he is one of our club’s “super volunteers,” always ready to lend a hand with whatever task — big or small — needs to be done. From setting up chairs for meetings, and stuffing goody bags at the short course, to helping manage the bees in the new club apiary at Westside, Lenny is always dependable.
He is also dedicated to learning and bettering his own abilities as a beekeeper, passing his certified exam, making a first attempt at his journeyman exam this year, and attending other learning experiences like conferences and club field trips. Lenny is a great role model for younger members of our club, and would be a deserving MABA beekeeper of the year.
ANA WHITT
Ana has become the voice of MABA and is always willing to be our clubs MC, and has done a fantastic job doing so. Her participation in the Hodges scholarship program has been excellent and she continues to recruit schools who want to introduce beekeeping to their students. Ana has helped arrange and coordinate many swarm trap builds, which have been a major success. Ana is always at our meetings and greets our members cheerfully and makes everyone feel welcome. Ana brings a ton of positive energy and enthusiasm to all MABA events and it been a pleasure being a club member with her.