Bill Evans of Jemison was named president of the Alabama Beekeepers Association during its annual convention Sept. 21 and 22.

“It was an honor and a privilege,” Evans said.

As president, Evans will oversee the roughly 900 members that make up the state association.

He has been beekeeping for 25 years, the last two of which he served in the role of vice president with the Alabama Beekeepers Association.

According to Evans, he has seen beekeeping grow as a hobby throughout the state since he started more than two decades ago.

His primary focus as president is to make sure that growth continues its course.

“The main thing is to continue to increase membership,” Evans said.

He bought his farm and moved to Jemison in 1993 and one day stumbled upon an old beehive while walking around the property.

The beehive had been abandoned, but it sparked an interest in beekeeping for Evans from that point moving forward.

Evans helped build the foundation for the West Alabama Beekeepers Association and the Chilton County Beekeepers Association.

“It’s an intriguing hobby,” Evans said.

According to Evans, going out in his bee garden provides a sense of relief and fascination.

Chilton County has become a popular destination for beekeepers in recent years with the Clanton Conference and Performing Arts Center serving as the host site for a couple of annual conventions and seminars.

“Chilton County and Clanton have been awfully good to the beekeepers,” Evans said.

That is a relationship that he hopes will continue to build in the future.