The following announcement was written by the The Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania:
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania – Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania has named James M. Beidler, a Keystone State native and longtime family history professional, as Interim Executive Director.
Beidler, who also served as GSP Executive Director from 1999 to 2003, has made a name for himself as an author, editor, and speaker during this 30 years of genealogy work. He recently co-chaired the successful virtual conference of the International German Genealogy Partnership after original plans for an in-person conference needed to be cancelled due to COVID-19. The IGGP conference drew more than 800 registrants from around the globe and was lauded as the first online genealogy conference to be successful in all aspects from program to exhibits.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Jim will be working with us," said Valerie-Anne Lutz, President of GSP. "His background and experience are perfect for GSP as we reimagine the organization and work toward a better future."
Beidler has been given the charge to take the renewed enthusiasm of the society’s passionate volunteers and kickstart activity by the society in a variety of directions. “It all began this summer after I rejoined GSP as a member,” Beidler said. “I had a Zoom call with the president and secretary just to let them pick my brain a little. Sometime later, I realized I might have more to offer than just some talking points.”
In addition to doing an inventory of all GSP’s resources—in terms of materials as well as human capital—Beidler will be helping the current board members and volunteers with everything from programming to publications to website improvements to grant opportunities, as well as recruiting more members, volunteers, and board members to help GSP become a state society that is the first stop for any genealogists with Pennsylvania roots, which is estimated to be about one in four Americans.
About Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania
GSP is a non-profit educational institution located at 2100 Byberry Road, Suite 111, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19116, and is found on the web at the URL, https://genpa.org
Founded in 1892, GSP is one of the earliest genealogical societies founded in the United States. Our mission is to provide leadership and support in promoting genealogy through education, preservation, and access to Pennsylvania-related genealogical information. GSP is committed to preserving and publishing primary source records and to helping people to search for their ancestors.