About AHPA
The American Honey Producers Association is an organization dedicated to promoting the common interest and general welfare of the American honey producer. It is the only national beekeeping organization that reserves voting rights for beekeepers.
AHPA is a producer group with focus on the economic interests for the commercial beekeeper, the sideline beekeeper, and the hobby beekeeper who are interested in a profitable business, whether that business is 1 or 2 hives, or 80,000 hives. AHPA is full of people just like many of you, beekeepers making their living from honeybees and honey production.
The leadership of AHPA takes care of your needs on national and international fronts while you are out in the field working your bees. AHPA has a strong reputation of successful performance on many national beekeeping and trade issues.
AHPA Board Members
President: Mark Jensen - Power, MT
Mark Jensen is part-owner of Smoot Honey Company, a family owned business, in Power, MT. Smoot Honey runs 5600 colonies for honey production just east of the Rocky Mountain Front in Central Montana. They have been a package operation since 1964 producing around 650,000 pounds of quality Montana honey each season. Mark has served as the Montana State Beekeeper’s Association president and on the AHPA Executive Committee and is currently AHPA president. He is also the editor of AHPA’s Honey Producer Magazine and holds degrees in Environmental Biology and Psychology from the University of Montana, Missoula.
Vice President: Randy Verhoek - Danbury, TX
Executive Secretary: Jerry Brown - Haddam, KS
Jerry Brown is a 3rd generation beekeeper from Kansas. While Jerry’s main interest had been in beekeeping, pollination, and honey production for more than 25 years, for the last 6 years he has increased his focus to include the marketing of honey in unique ways. He has served as Executive Secretary of AHPA since 2004, President of the Kansas Honey Producers Association for 10 years in the 90’s, National Honey Board Alternate and Nominations Committee Member, City Council member and Mayor of his local community, Church Choir Director, Worship Leader, and Youth Group Leader. Recently Jerry’s focus has been on helping form the International Committee for the Promotion of Honey and Health, publishing 3 books with Dr. Ron Fessenden about the health benefits of honey, and forming RevHoney, Inc with his son, Nathan, and daughter, Britinna. RevHoney, Inc. focuses on marketing the health benefits of honey in convenient and non-traditional avenues. While doing all this, Jerry and his wife Debbie, remain active operating Brown Honey Farms, Inc., one of the largest beekeeping operations in Kansas.
Treasurer: Cassie Jensen - Power, MT
Carrie Smoot Jensen has served as treasurer for AHPA the past 7 years. Her family has been in the bee business since 1964 operating Smoot Honey Company in Power,MT. Carrie has also served as treasurer for the Montana State Beekeeper’s Association. Carrie is a CPA with a Master’s of Accountancy from the University of Montana, Missoula. She currently works as controller for both Smoot Honey Company and Stelling Engineers in Great Falls, MT.
Past President: Kenny Haff - Mandan, ND
Kenny Haff and his wife Cyndy started beekeeping more than 30 years ago. Their family-owned and operated business, Haff Apiaries, currently focuses on honey production in North Dakota and almond pollination in California. Ken is a past director of the North Dakota Beekeepers Association. He is also currently a member of the Bee Informed Stakeholder Advisory Board.
Executive Committee: Kalvin Adee - Bruce, SD
Executive Committee: Joe Sanroma - Bunkie,LA
Executive Committee: Steven Coy - Perkinson, MS
Executive Committee: Darren Cox - Logan, UT
Darren Cox is president of Cox Honey of Utah, LLC. A fourth generation beekeeper, Cox’s family started keeping bees in St. George, Utah in the late 1800’s. In 1929 Cox Honey was incorporated as a family business. Cox bought and took over operation of Cox Honey from his father, Duane Cox, in 2002. He manages between 4,000 and 5,000 hives of honeybees. Cox attended Utah State University. He was nominated to the EPA Farm, Ranch, and Rural Committees Advisory Committee in 2007; appointed as chairman for the American Honey Producers Association Ag Advisory Board in 2008; appointed as Chairman for the National Honey Bee Advisory Board in 2009; and has been an elected delegate for the American Honey Producers Association for the state of Utah since 2008. Cox is currently a member of the EPA Pesticide Program Dialog Committee representing the US Bee Industry.
Executive Committee: Doug Hauke - Marshfield, WI
Doug Hauke manages the Hauke Honey Corporation, a 3,000 colony operation which produces and packages honey at its FDA/USDA inspected facility in Marshfield, Wisconsin and he also produces nucs and queens in East Texas. Doug serves on the board of at Projust Apis m. and had the opportunity to work several seasons at the Madison Bee Lab under Dr. Eric Erickson and E.R. Harp. Doug earned degrees in bacteriology and virology from the University of Wisconsin.
