Christi will long be remembered as a hard-working, visionary leader who will be missed by all who knew her. It was my privilege to work with her on a number of bee industry-related endeavors over the past 20+ years, including the Almond Board’s Bee Task Force, the Industry Liaison Committee of the USDA Bee Lab in Tucson, Project Apis m, and the Honey Integrity Task Force where she served as Director. Our last HITF meeting was held virtually on May 6 and we all had the opportunity to observe Christi on our computer screens as she ran the meeting with typical professionalism.
She was blessed with a pleasant personality and her positive enthusiasm was contagious. As a beekeeper, it was heartwarming to observe her love for honey bees and the beekeeping industry grow over the years and we in the beekeeping industry will be forever in her debt. She was a true friend and it was a blessing to have had the opportunity to work with her for so many years.
My sincere condolences to her loving family that she cherished with all her heart. May God Bless all of you!
Gene Brandi
Beekeeper
Gene, thank you so much for reaching out and your kind words and fond memories. I admire how she blended her work and friendships. She always seemed to be doing what she loved when working with the beekeepers and bee industry, whether it was out in the fields or at a conference. Thanks again for sharing.