BOARD OF DIRECTORS

None of this would be possible without the dedication and leadership of our Board of Directors.

Meet the Board

Neil Dudley

Pederson's Natural Farms

“Owen and Sandi Carlson set an example that must be followed! They inspired a group of individuals to do something, and Bacon Bash Texas was born! I feel very blessed, I work for a company that feels very blessed, and Bacon Bash Texas gives me and us an opportunity to pass that blessing to others. The most amazing thing comes from genuinely giving of your time and money to help others who may not be able to help themselves… it makes you HAPPY! I LOVE to be happy, and, at the core, that is the reason I am involved with Bacon Bash! The pure luck of the deal is I get to volunteer with my wife, work family, and hundreds of other close friends to help put on a uniquely located and designed event that is a heck of a lot of fun, growing awareness, and raising money for great causes!!”

OwEN Carlson

Horny Toad Bar & Grill, Niki Warms The Cold

“We were asked to give a reason why we are involved in Bacon Bash Texas. There are so many reasons, but the two most important for us are our daughter, Niki, and our niece, Lexie. Niki came home Thanksgiving of 2009 and asked us to save blankets so she could share with those in need. March 18, 2010, we lost Niki to carbon monoxide poisoning… she had planted a seed, and “Niki Warms the Cold” began. Since Thanksgiving of 2010, we have traveled around sharing blankets, socks, winter hats, gloves, toiletries, and jackets. A few years into our journey, Lexie mentioned to me that she wanted to make a difference like Niki, but wanted to be here to see it. Lexie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on 12/7/98 at the age of seven and attended Camp Sweeney for eight years. When Scott Cooney mentioned a Bacon Cook-off to benefit Niki Warms the Cold, sharing the proceeds with Children with Type 1 Diabetes seemed like the right thing to do. Lexie was able to attend two of the Bacon Bash Texas events before losing her battle with diabetes June 20, 2014.

Owen and I feel blessed that we are part of such an amazing event with such wonderful people. Pederson’s Natural Farms and The Moxie Room have really put a lot of heart into this event. We would like to thank them for investing their time and resources to raise money for these charities that hold such a special place in our hearts.”

Christie Beyer

ABF Packing

“A few years ago, I was asked to serve on the board for Bacon Bash Texas. My husband, Jason, and I had attended one BBT, and immediately fell in love with what all these great folks were doing and I knew I wanted to jump “on board” – we both knew we wanted to be involved.

After going on medical leave and deciding not to return to work so I could be a stay-at-home mom the last few years of school for our kids, I knew I was reaching the end of that time. I always enjoyed being involved in various activities through the school and the kids’ extra-curricular activities and knew I would be missing that. I thought this would be an outlet to help fill that void, but it has been so much more!!! Having the opportunity to serve on the board, I have met and made some great friends and have been extremely blessed by what BBT does – helping children with Type 1 Diabetes receive much needed supplies and blood monitoring meters, helping these same kids attend Camp Sweeney and helping with Niki Warms the Cold – but most of all, by meeting the families that have been the beneficiaries of this help. It’s truly been amazing. Jason and I have been blessed in our lives to be able to help many times, but this has been one of the biggest blessings we’ve had and look forward to continuing to work with this great group to help build BBT into something much bigger, better and baconier, because the bigger and better we get, the more we can do and that’s what it’s all about. Bacon is the bonus!!”

Brandon Sommerfeld

Entertainment Advisor

“BBT is the event that it is because of countless hours put in by volunteers. Every volunteer has their reasons for donating their time, but I do it for my cousin Nikki. I do it for her, because she never got the opportunity. She had a big heart and was as selfless as anyone I think I’ve ever met. Her death hit everyone pretty hard, and left a lasting impression on me. I try to be as giving and as selfless as she was, and that’s why I gladly jump at any chance to help out with BBT. It is a great event whose proceeds have had a positive effect on many deserving families in the past, and will continue to do so in the future. I’m very proud to be apart of it, and I’m always excited to see it grow from year to year. Thank you BBT and Hootie Hoo!”

Chrissy Lane

Pederson's Natural Farms

“Owen and Sandy are the most caring and loving people I have met. I had gone to many of their other fundraisers for Niki Warms the Cold, and their dedication to their daughter’s memory made me want to help. Now after hearing some stories from parents with children with Type 1 Diabetes, it makes it even more special. Bacon Bash is changing these kids’ lives.”

Melanie Taylor

Boucher, Morgan and Young, a P.C.

“My son, Ely, was diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes in January 2015 at the age of 10. My family is very blessed to be able to provide Ely with all of the best medical devices available to assist him with controlling his blood sugar and, most importantly, keeping him safe. However, I began to learn after his diagnosis how many parents cannot afford to provide life-saving medical devices such as the Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitor for their T1Ds. Many times families can’t afford this device despite both parents working and having insurance. The Dexcom literally saves lives every day and should be provided the day of diagnosis to all T1Ds. Having a Dexcom results in kids being able to have freedom to go places and be regular kids and their parents still being able to monitor their blood sugar and keep them safe. The Dexcom also gives parents the ability to sleep at night without getting up repeatedly to check their T1D child’s blood sugar. No one can understand the toll this disease takes physically, mentally and emotionally on both the T1D and the caregivers unless they walk this path. This is a 24/7 disease with no break. The Dexcom makes a difference I could never truly describe the full value of.”

Michael Clark

“Year number 2 of Bacon Bash, my lovely wife spent her birthday under a pulled down pop-up tent to try and stay dry during the downpour. The clouds cleared, the sun came out, and the day ended up amazing just like the people we met, and the spirit of the event. We left knowing we were hooked, and wanted to be involved. With one of our good friends we founded the Baconeers and enlisted an army of friends to help bring our recipes to life. Fast forward a few years and the invitation to be the Team Advisor for the board presented itself and it has grown from there. We love being a part of something that makes such a positive impact on so many lives.”

Advisors

Cody Lane

Pederson's Natural Farms

“I tell everyone, ‘I’m the luckiest guy you’ve ever met,’ and I believe it. But better stated would be, “I’m the most blessed man you’ve ever met.” I clearly understand (although sometimes get selfishly sidetracked) my purpose in life is to serve God and man. There are always opportunities to serve, but sometimes we miss them. Sometimes what we think is an act of service turns out not to be what we thought, and we wish we would have put our efforts somewhere else. Still, there are times that we are committed and confident in our cause, but feel our impact was not worth the effort. Bacon Bash is an obvious opportunity to serve, the funds are truly put to good use no matter who we help, and it reminds us that helping one individual is just as important as helping one hundred. I’m proud to play a small part in that. I’m even more proud to share that Bacon Bash has become a blessing to me, just as it is a blessing to all those that it is able to serve. And it’s a lot of fun, too.”

Stacy Dudley

Root & Roam Creative Studio, Pederson's Natural Farms

Sandi Carlson

Horny Toad Bar & Grill, Niki Warms The Cold

“We were asked to give a reason why we are involved in Bacon Bash Texas. There are so many reasons, but the two most important for us are our daughter, Niki, and our niece, Lexie. Niki came home Thanksgiving of 2009 and asked us to save blankets so she could share with those in need. March 18, 2010, we lost Niki to carbon monoxide poisoning… she had planted a seed, and “Niki Warms the Cold” began. Since Thanksgiving of 2010, we have traveled around sharing blankets, socks, winter hats, gloves, toiletries, and jackets. A few years into our journey, Lexie mentioned to me that she wanted to make a difference like Niki, but wanted to be here to see it. Lexie was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on 12/7/98 at the age of seven and attended Camp Sweeney for eight years. When Scott Cooney mentioned a Bacon Cook-off to benefit Niki Warms the Cold, sharing the proceeds with Children with Type 1 Diabetes seemed like the right thing to do. Lexie was able to attend two of the Bacon Bash Texas events before losing her battle with diabetes June 20, 2014.

Owen and I feel blessed that we are part of such an amazing event with such wonderful people. Pederson’s Natural Farms and The Moxie Room have really put a lot of heart into this event. We would like to thank them for investing their time and resources to raise money for these charities that hold such a special place in our hearts.”

Jason Beyer

Auctioneer

“I first met Cody Lane and Neil Dudley several years ago through our respective businesses, all being involved in the pork and beef industries. Neil and Cody invited me and my wife, Christie, to Bacon Bash. After attending our first BBT, and seeing what the Pederson Team was doing, we knew we wanted to be involved and help any way we could.

I have served many years on the Texas Beef Council, even serving as Chairman of the Board, I’m currently on the executive board for the Southwest Meat Association, own or co-own multiple businesses and have auctioneered cattle sales, estate auctions and many fundraisers. I am the current auctioneer for Bacon Bash Texas and Ball of the Bash and serve the BBT committee in an advisory position.

Christie and I are always looking for opportunities to give back and believe in the opportunities BBT is providing for children with Type 1 Diabetes and Niki Warms the Cold.

Strangest thing about all this, is we are now the ones being blessed – being surrounded by so many giving hearts, great friends and making new friends!!”