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The following announcement was written by the Association of Professional Genealogists:
WHEAT RIDGE, Colo., 9 December 2020—The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG®) has announced the results of its election for board members and nominations committee members. The APG membership elected six at-large board members for two-year terms, and one at-large board member for one year. Two nominations committee members were elected for one- year terms. Those elected:
At-Large Board of Directors (two-year term):
Alec Ferretti (US, New York)
Alec Ferretti holds masters degrees in archival sciences and library sciences. He serves on the Board of Directors of Reclaim the Records, works with the Wells Fargo Family & Business History Center, and is the President of the NY Genealogy and Technology Group. He was the APG 2018 Young Professional Scholarship recipient, and has spoken at the 2019 APG Professional Management Conference, the 2020 SLIG Colloquium, and a number of others.
Margaret Rose Fortier, CG® (US, Massachusetts)
Margaret Rose Fortier is a Certified Genealogist® focusing on New England immigrants. She serves as membership director for the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists, facilitator for the Certification Discussion Group, mentor for the upcoming GenProof Study Group, and a member of the BCG Webinar Committee. Margaret volunteers with the Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Records project at NEHGS and with the Royall House and Slave Quarters in Medford, MA. She holds a business degree from Boston College and an MS in Human Factors in Information Design from Bentley University.
LaDonna Garner, M.A. (US, Missouri)
LaDonna Garner, M.A., is a historical and genealogical consultant in Southeast Missouri. She earned a M.A. in Historic Preservation with a focus on forgotten communities and cemeteries. She enjoys speaking and teaching hands-on genealogy and she has held various positions promoting local and state genealogical societies. These positions include director, vice-president, editor, fundraiser, conference organizer, syllabus chair, mentor, and active volunteer, as well as a curator and researcher for historic properties.
Dana Leeds (US, Texas)
A genealogist since 1998, Dana started seriously pursuing genealogy education in 2014. She has attended many institutes and is a certificate holder of Boston University’s Genealogical Research Program. Dana is a current member of ProGen 46 and is pursuing certification through BCG. In 2018, Dana gave her first presentation to a local genealogy group. Soon after, she developed the Leeds Method of sorting DNA matches. This innovation quickly led to invitations to speak nationally. She has presented at APG’s PMC, RootsTech, i4GG’s International Genetic Genealogy Conference, and GRIP. Dana does DNA consulting and she conducts genealogy research, with a focus on DNA.
Cynthia Maharrey (US, Florida)
Cynthia Maharrey was born and raised in a small town in West Virginia. She specializes in late 18th through early 20th century research with emphases on the state of Kentucky and African American research. Cynthia has worked with individuals in a variety of capacities including creating Kentucky-specific historical content, serving as a coach in Trace’s Coaches’ Corner at RootsTech and appearing on the Travel Channel’s The Dead Files. Cynthia is a member of the National Genealogical Society, the African American Genealogy Group of Kentucky, the Florida State Genealogical Society, and two county historical societies.
Chris Paton (Scotland)
Originally from Northern Ireland, but resident in Scotland since 1997, Chris has worked as a professional genealogist since 2006. A holder of a Postgraduate Diploma in Genealogical Studies from the University of Strathclyde, Chris researches through his Scotland's Greatest Story service (www.scotlandsgreateststory.co.uk), offering services and experience in both Scottish and Irish family history. Chris is the author of several bestselling genealogy books and he writes the daily Scottish GENES blog (http://scottishgenes.blogspot.com).
Rose Lerer Cohen (Israel)
Rose Lerer Cohen, Ph.D, is a current member of the APG board and active member of the Continuing Education Monitoring Committee and the International Committee. Rose is a professional genealogist and family researcher, writing, lecturing, and conducting workshops in Israel, North America, and South Africa. She has written and lectured on topics relating to genealogy research both in Israel and abroad and is involved in genealogy organizations, both locally and internationally.
* Rose Lerer Cohen will fill the one-year vacancy on the board, term ending 31 December 2021.
Nominations Committee (one-year term)
Michelle Roos Goodrum (US, Arizona)
Michelle Roos Goodrum is a certificate holder (OL 16) and an instructor for Boston University’s Genealogical Research Program. Michelle completed the ProGen Study Group (ProGen 14) and regularly attends genealogical institutes and conferences. Michelle’s interest in genealogy began in junior high school. In 1994 she attended a local family history society meeting and became hooked. Areas of interest include land records, genetic genealogy, and research in the western United States.
Kimberly Powell (US, Pennsylvania)
Kimberly is a professional genealogist, author, and educator specializing in genealogical writing, pre-1850 family history, land records, DNA, and solving complex problems. She served seven years APG’s board, including two years as past president and several years as chair of APG’s Professional Development Committee. She served as the Genealogy Expert for About.com for sixteen years and teaches at genealogy institutes as well as in the online genealogy courses offered through Boston University. Her research focus is families with roots in the southeastern US and southwestern PA.
Statement from President David McDonald
“We thank our retiring board members and welcome those elected. The next two years will provide us the opportunity to strengthen the field of professional genealogy as we puruse developing connections between the public and our vast network of genealogists. We will continue advocating for improved record access while partnering with organizations and entities that value the voices of genealogists. We will work together in making decisions that will lift the standards of genealogy and increase the relevance of our work.
About the Association of Professional Genealogists
The Association of Professional Genealogists (www.apgen.org), established in 1979, represents more than 2,700 genealogists in various genealogy-related businesses. APG encourages genealogical excellence, ethical practice, mentoring, and education. The organization also supports the preservation and accessibility of records useful to the fields of genealogy and history. Its 2 members represent all fifty U.S. states, Canada, and forty other countries. APG is active on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
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