THE BOARD

TOM BENCH (he/him)

Tom has had a fascination for bees since he was a child. He founded the University of Utah Beekeeping club when he was a student at the U of U, which maintains hives on campus and educates the campus community about the importance of bees. He co-founded Hollow Tree Honey in 2013 and has grown that business from local farmers markets to groceries stores across Utah, making unheated local honey more accessible to Utah. The company has offered flower seeds to honey customers in an effort to create more food for the local bees throughout the season. After meeting the owners of Grip6, he collaborated to create the Hollow Tree Honey Foundation.

SARA BENCH (she/her)

Sara is one of the co-founders of the Hollow Tree Honey Foundation, and serves as secretary on the board. She is the wife of Tom, and an artist who has designed the foundation’s canvas totes, t-shirts, and original logo. She is passionate about environmental issues and is a mother to three kids. She loves going to concerts, working on her art projects, hiking along the Wasatch Mountains, and hanging out with her family.

GEORGINA GRIFFITH-YATES (she/her)

Georgina Griffith-Yates (she/her) is a passionate, creative NGO leader with a drive to strengthen community programs. Currently serving as the Executive Director for Wasatch Community Gardens, Georgina has received her Master’s in Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management from the University of Utah. She is currently in her third year of a PhD in Political Science, Nonprofit Management and Civil Society Track at the University of Utah. When she isn’t working with or researching nonprofits, Georgina loves spending time tending her garden with her wife and their menagerie of rescue animals. 

 

LAURA ARNESON HORN (she/hers) 

Laura Arneson Horn is a conservationist and creator of the Wild Bee Project, an organization dedicated to helping vegetable farmers attract beneficial insects and increasing awareness of native wild bees. After receiving her MS in Biology from Utah State University in 2004, Laura spent a decade as an environmental specialist for a consulting firm in Utah. She has spearheaded projects to help farmers plan and execute natural pest control strategies, mainly through planting on-farm hedgerows. She also conducts talks and workshops to spread her love of the wild bees of northern Utah to farmers and enthusiasts alike.

AMANDA BARTH (she/hers)

Amanda Barth is the rare insect conservation coordinator for the Utah Department of Natural Resources. She has a background in pollination ecology, public education, and community conservation outreach. Her current efforts include the community science pollinator data collection project “Utah Pollinator Pursuit,” establishing a statewide bumble bee monitoring program, collaborating with agency and nonprofit partners to protect and restore habitat, and chairing a multi-state working group committed to western monarch conservation.

 

KEVIN ROGERS (he/him)

Kevin is one of the foundation's co-founders, GRIP6's National Sales Manager, and the leader of the Conservation Initiative. GRIP6 continues to develop new products to expand the mission of their Conservation Series in the hopes of increasing their commitment to ecological conservation.

JOSHUA SHUTKIND (he/him)

Josh currently serves as the Executive Director of the Hollow Tree Honey Foundation, and as the beekeeper for Hollow Tree Honey. His passion for bees and conservation is fueled by his current pursuit of an environmental science/sustainability degree from the U of U, and his work with the foundation and their partner organizations. Josh is a retired professional ballet dancer, and enjoys camping and going on hikes with his partner, and their dog Cookie!