Debbie A. Abbott, PhD
Deborah A. Abbott, PhD, is a professional genealogist specializing in genealogical methodology, manuscript collections, and African American family research. She holds both the BS and MEd degrees from Tuskegee University in Alabama and the PhD degree from Kent State University in Ohio. Dr. Abbott is coordinator of the African American Track at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). In addition, she teaches at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR). Dr. Abbott also presents lectures and workshops for national, state, and local genealogy conferences, colleges, businesses, and libraries across the country.
Julia A. Anderson, MA, AG®
Julia Anderson is an Accredited Genealogist® in the United States Gulf South Region. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and University Honors with an emphasis in Family History from Brigham Young University in 1993 and a Master of Arts degree in History with an emphasis in Post-Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University in 2021. She is a full-time research specialist on the United States and Canada team at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah, and teaches classes for Salt Lake Community College in their genealogy certification program.
Julia is the owner and managing member of Anderson Genealogical Research, LLC and serves as the First Vice President of the Utah Genealogical Association. In her spare time, she runs the Baden Powell Legacy Foundation, a private, non-profit organization that sponsors programs for youth and young adults focusing on leadership, service, citizenship, and personal growth. She also serves as a youth leader and mentor in many of those programs. Julia lives in Orem, Utah, and is married to Scott Anderson. Together, they have nine children and seven grandchildren.
Nancy Gilbride Casey
Nancy Gilbride Casey is a genealogical researcher and writer, who has been exploring her family roots since the early 2000s. She delights in uncovering interesting stories about her ancestors from Ireland, Slovakia, Scotland, and Croatia, and about her husband’s deep American roots from the Mayflower to pre-statehood Texas.
Nancy began a family history blog Leaves on the Tree in 2018 when she could no longer contain her excitement about her discoveries. Her writing has since been published in local society newsletters in Denton, Erath County, Cleveland, and Scranton, and that of the Genealogy Society of Pennsylvania.
She is a member of the genealogical societies of Denton, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Greater Cleveland, as well as the National Genealogical Society and CGSI—the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society. Nancy volunteers as a proofreader for TxSGS Stirpes, a writer for the Denton Public Library’s Special Collections, and will edit the Denton County Genealogical Society’s newsletter in 2022-23.
Recently retired after a career in arts administration and higher education, she is a new empty-nester who lives in Tioga, Texas, with her husband Jim and dog Angel.
Esther Camacho
Esther Camacho is a south Texas librarian, genealogist, and historical researcher. Listening to family stories and firsthand experiences from her parents and grandparents led to a passion in genealogy and local history. She has been active in genealogical research for over 35 years. She is a member of the Hidalgo County Historical Commission and other local and state societies and professional associations.
She has presented at local organizations and state conferences on a variety of topics including beginners’ genealogy, Hispanic research, cemetery research, and local history. Esther holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and a Master of Library Science from Texas Woman’s University.
Janine Cloud
Janine Cloud, a native of Brazoria County and fifth-generation Texan, became interested in genealogy when a grade school assignment to complete a pedigree chart prompted her to question family members about her ancestors. She started working at FamilyTreeDNA in 2011, where she created the Group Projects – Events team she now manages. Janine has given presentations at conferences such as the National Genealogical Society Conference, RootsTech, and RootsTech London, as well as numerous local organizations.
Debra Dudek
Debra M. Dudek is Head of Adult and Teen Services at the Fountaindale Public Library District in Bolingbrook, IL. She holds a post graduate certificate in Genealogical, Palaeographic & Heraldic Studies from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland. Ms. Dudek is the Book Review Editor of the Illinois State Genealogical Society, a board member of the Illinois State Historical Society, and is the author of the World War I Research Guide: Tracing American Military and Non-Combatant Ancestors, which will soon be published in its third edition.
Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS
Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS, is an academic librarian, college educator, and tech nerd who has been researching her family history since 1997. She is the Digital Literacy Librarian at California State University, Fullerton, and teaches an online graduate-level genealogical research methods course for San Jose State University. Colleen is a nationally recognized genealogy speaker and educator specializing in methodology, Mexican & Hispanic research, libraries and archives, and technology. She co-coordinated a course for TIGR 2021, and has been part of the teaching teams for courses at SLIG Academy 2020 & 2022, SLIG 2020, and IGHR 2021. Colleen publishes a genealogy education blog at www.colleengreene.com, including a new Genealogy Quick Tips video series.
Tony Hanson
Tony Hanson earned degrees in Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications and is now retired following a 32-year career as a manager with AT&T. He has been researching his family for 22 years. He has held numerous positions on the Board of Directors of the Dallas Genealogical Society and is currently serving as the Director of Membership for the Texas State Genealogical Society.
He has received numerous awards from the Dallas Genealogical Society (Volunteer of the Year, Heritage Preservation, Award of Merit, and Presidents Special Award) and the Texas State Genealogical Society (Volunteer of the Year and Presidential Citations) recognizing his many contributions of time and talent.
Jean Wilcox Hibben, PhD, MA
Jean Wilcox Hibben; PhD, MA, former So. Cal. college speech professor (MA – Speech Communication; PhD – Folklore), is a national speaker and author. A member of the DAR, she is the former director and current staff trainer for the Corona, CA Family History Center, has worked on background research for two genealogy television programs, and was a host for podcasts on social history. A former Board-Certified genealogist with over 40 years of research experience, she is a former board member of APG and past president of its So. Cal. Chapter; president of the Corona Genealogical Society, as well as webmaster for that same organization; and has participated on a number of other society boards. Jean writes the “Aunty Jeff” column for the Informer, the newsletter of the Jefferson County NY Genealogical Society. Website: circlemending.org
Daniel Horowitz
Dedicated to Genealogy since 1986, Daniel was the teacher and the study guide editor of the family history project “Searching for My Roots” in Venezuela for 15 years. He was a board member of The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) for 10 years, now is involved in several crowdsource digitization and transcription projects and holds a board-level position at The Israel Genealogy Research Association (IGRA). Since 2006 Daniel has been working at MyHeritage liaising with genealogy societies, bloggers, and media, as well as lecturing, and attending conferences around the world.
Kevin Klaus
Kevin Klaus developed a love of history from an early age while listening to stories told by his great-grandparents and grandparents who grew up in East Texas. He has a background in anthropology, archaeology, and public history from the University of New Mexico and is currently working towards becoming a certified genealogist. For the last 18 years, Kevin has served as one of the lead researchers in the Texas General Land Office Archives and Records Program Area. During his time at the Land Office, he has searched the early Court of Claims files, German Collection, and archi val collection to learn more about the history of Texas and discover the amazing collection of personal letters of early soldiers and pioneers who helped settle our great state. Over the last few years, Kevin has focused his attention and research on the German Collection and the early German settlers that came to Texas under the Adelsverein in the 1840s. In the process, he has honed his research skills by tracing his own family line that came to America in the late 1800s.
J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
J. Mark Lowe, FUGA, describes himself as a lifelong
genealogist. He is a full-time professional genealogist, author, and lecturer who specializes in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. Mark lives in Robertson County, Tennessee, just north of Nashville near the Kentucky border.
Mark enjoys opportunities to share what he has learned over the years. He serves as the Course Coordinator for “Research in the South” at IGHR (Georgia Genealogical Society), presents webinars for Legacy Family Tree Webinars, and also directs southern courses for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG). He has worked on several genealogical television series including Finding Your Past, African American Lives 2, Who Do You Think You Are? and UnXplained Events, and provided content for podcasts on Gimlet Media, including Twice Removed.
Mark has published in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (APGQ), National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ), the Genealogical Speakers’ Guild SPEAK!, The Longhunter (So. Ky. Genealogical Society), the Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society Quarterly, and other society publications. Mark is a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Society and was awarded the Graham T. Smallwood award by the Association of Professional Genealogists.
Sherman Macrae
Sherman is an experienced Genealogist specializing in African American Genetic Genealogy and Research primarily within the Carolinas and serves as a Co-Admin on the E-M2 and the A-YDNA Haplogroup projects. He has a special interest in the genetic and scientific advancement of Africans and the people of the diaspora in hopes of bridging the genetic divide and discovering new haplogroups that exist in undertested populations.
Sherman has been working for Family Tree DNA the Groups Department acting as a liaison between the researchers and the company, as well as doing presentations nationally and locally on how to use DNA testing for research. In addition, he assists the Research & Development Dept at Family Tree DNA with various projects including the newly released Discover project.
Sherman McRae was born in Thomasville, NC, and attended North Carolina Central University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2006 and is a Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. Sherman worked in Education prior to Joining Family Tree DNA in March 2018.
Bernard Meisner
Bernard Meisner is a genealogist and lecturer based in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. He began researching his family over 30 years ago and enjoys sharing lessons learned from that experience, including his mistakes. Although he knew only one grandparent (his maternal grandfather) he has successfully identified all of his great-great grandparents, many triple- and quadruple-great grandparents, and his Meisner 8th great grandparents. He is a past president of the Mid-Cities Genealogical Society, a co-leader of the Dallas Genealogical Society’s German Genealogy Group, and a member of the Texas State and National Genealogical Societies.
Bernard retired from the National Weather Service Southern Region Headquarters where he was the Chief of the Science & Training Branch. He is certified as a consulting meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society. He has taught at the Universities of Texas, Oklahoma and St. Thomas (Houston). Bernard earned a B.S. in physics/German from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in meteorology from the University of Hawaii. He has completed coursework of the National Institute for Genealogical Studies, the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research, and attended the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh each of the last seven years, completing courses in Irish, German, and Pennsylvania Research, Digital Research Skills, and Practical Genetic Genealogy.
Gail Jackson Miller, CG®
Gail Jackson Miller, CG® is professional genealogist, teacher, writer, and lecturer specializing in Kentucky and Tennessee with more than 40 years of genealogical experience. She became certified by the Board for Certification of Genealogist in 1999 and has more than 20 years working with clients on their families. She has spoken and taught nationally at NGS, FGS, IGHR, and in the SLIG academy in addition to her work regionally and locally as an editor and in society leadership. In her prior life, she was a nationally recognized biology teacher working with high school and college students.
Joy Neighbors
As an avowed “Tombstone Tourist,” Joy Neighbors has an avid interest in cemeteries, history, and genealogy. She is the author of The Family Tree Cemetery Field Guide, and has written the popular cemetery blog, “A Grave Interest,” for more than a decade. Once a former journalist and broadcaster, Joy is now a freelance magazine writer and playwright. She has just finished a full-length play about a Kentucky civil rights activist and is seeking production for another play about a Kentucky pioneer heroine. (Both theatre plays came about due to hints on tombstones.) She is also a national cemetery speaker, podcaster, and editor of the Indiana Genealogical Society Quarterly Journal. Joy has an MFA in Creative Writing and is currently working on two books. The first is about fraternal organizations and their secrets, and another deals with Bourbon, whiskey, and war. Joy lives in the Hoosier National Forest near Louisville, Kentucky with her family.
Joy Oria
Houston native Joy Oria has been helping customers discover their family history at the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research in Houston, Texas since 2015. She has spoken nationally on Hispanic genealogical research and completed the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy course Advanced Hispanic Research in 2020. Her earlier career experiences include zookeeper and park ranger.
Diane L. Richard, ME, MBA
Diane L Richard, MEng & MBA, Mosaic Research and Project Management (MosaicRPM), www.mosaicrpm.com, has been doing genealogy research since 1987 and since 2004 professionally focused on the records of North Carolina and southern states. She regularly contributes to Internet Genealogy. She has authored over 500 articles on genealogy topics. In 2019 she published, Tracing Your Ancestors — African American Research: A Practical Guide, via Moorshead Publications. Since 2016 she has been editor of the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS) Journal.
As a speaker she has delivered webinars and in-person talks about the availability and richness of records documenting southerners, pursuing formerly enslaved ancestors and their descendants, genealogical research tips, techniques, tools and strategies, under-utilized resource collections [online and on-the-ground], and much more. She has appeared on Who Do You Think You Are? (Bryan Cranston episode). She is co-leader of Tar Heel Discoveries, www.tarheeldiscoveries.com, started in 2018, which offers guided North Carolina genealogical research programs providing participants targeted, focused, research assistance leading to new family discoveries.
She is a board member of NC Historical Records Online (NCHRO), http://nchistoricalrecords.org/, non-profit organization dedicated to providing public access to high quality images of original records and other related information useful to researching North Carolina history and genealogy.
Kim Richardson
Kim Richardson began her genealogy journey out of her love of family history. She is passionate about her work as a professional genealogist and enjoys serving the genealogy community by teaching and enabling others to do their own research successfully. She speaks often to genealogists across the country. In her role as a genealogist, she not only helps her clients achieve their own genealogy goals, but she has also researched for various authors and for Finding Your Roots and Who Do You Think You Are?
Richardson lives in Oxford, Mississippi, and graduated from Mississippi State University in 1996 with a BA in Communication. Since then, she has been serving the state of Mississippi, working in highway safety programs and as an advocate for victims of violent crimes.
Mary Kircher Roddy, CG®
Mary Kircher Roddy, Certified Genealogist, is also a Certified Public Accountant. She lectures in Washington State and across the US, and is a regular presenter for LegacyFamilyTree Webinars. She has written for Internet Genealogy, NGS Magazine, FGS Forum, Family Chronicle, and The National Genealogical Society Quarterly and numerous society publications. Mary served as Treasurer for the Association of Professional Genealogists. She is currently a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Mary is one of the founders of the Applied Genealogy Institute (https://appliedgen.institute), where she taught “Irish Research” in Fall 2021 and is teaching “Lost and Overwhelmed by AncestryDNA – Sorting, Organizing and Using Results to Grow Your Family Tree” in Fall 2022. You can read more about her at MKR Genealogy – www.mkrgenealogy.com
Renate Yarborough Sanders
Renate Yarborough Sanders is the descendant of formerly enslaved ancestors, enslavers, and free people of color. She authors two blogs: “Into the LIGHT” and “Genea-Related;” and produces a “(Mostly) African-American Funeral Programs” online database.
Renate is a member of the National Genealogical Society, the North Carolina Genealogical Society (Publicity Director), the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society (member of National Editorial Board and Vice-President and Newsletter Editor for the Hampton Roads Chapter), the Utah Genealogical Society, and the Tyrrell County Genealogical and Historical Society. She is also a member of the lineage society, “Sons and Daughters of the United States Middle Passage.” Renate cohosts “Let’s Talk North Carolina Genealogy,” an online platform and YouTube show, presenting genealogy programing and virtual events for North Carolina researchers; and she has served as panelist and guest on numerous web shows and podcasts. Renate has provided genealogy education for George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Norfolk State University, The College of William and Mary and for NASA. Her research has been featured on PBS Radio and in a National Geographic cover story and podcast. Renate has contributed to genealogical publications, and she volunteers as an indexer, transcriptionist, and photographer in the genealogy community. She provides coaching and consultation services for clients seeking assistance with genealogical research and continues to engage in project work for various organizations and institutions.
Renate lectures on a variety of genealogy topics but specializes in teaching beginning to intermediate research methodology and sharing specific techniques for researching ancestors of color – both pre- and post-Emancipation. She is a retired elementary school educator, mother of two daughters, and grandmother of three beautiful granddaughters (and a grand dog).
Franklin Carter Smith
Franklin Carter Smith is currently a Senior Library Service Specialist at the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research, a special collections library of the Houston Public Library. He’s been engaged in family history research nearly 40 years. A licensed attorney, he practiced law for thirteen years before joining the library.
His specialty area is African American research with a specific interest in the enslavement era. He co-authored with Emily Anne Croom A Genealogists Guide to Discovering Your African-American Ancestors. He has also written several articles for Family Tree Magazine and presented talks to numerous Texas groups and organizations on African American Family History research and DNA.
Patti Huff Smith
Patti Huff Smith is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, National Genealogical Society, Texas State Genealogical Society. She is the General Meeting Administrator for the Dallas Genealogical Society and former Director of Education. Patti has pursued her passion for genealogy and family research since 2013. Once introduced to DNA in 2015, she attended conferences, lectures, classes, and workshops to develop her skill in Genetic Genealogy. In December 2020, Patti completed Boston University’s Genealogy Studies Program “Certificate in Genealogical Research” to further her expertise in genealogy. She completed Your DNA Guide‘s 5-week “The Academy DNA Skills Workshop” by Diahan Southard in February 2021. Patti worked full-time as a marketing coordinator for ten years in Dallas until March 2018. She formerly worked nine years for motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar as a sales representative, seminar facilitator, and speaker. Patti and her husband, Gary Smith, led marriage conferences and held leadership positions in the church for 21 years.
Lori Thornton, MLS
Lori Thornton, MLS, professional genealogist and academic librarian, resides in Morristown, Tennessee. The Mississippi native specializes in Southern States research and religious records. Lori speaks to librarians and genealogists locally, regionally, and nationally. Her own ancestry includes early New England settlers who migrated to the Midwest, Amish who immigrated to Pennsylvania and beyond, and Southern ancestors.
Lori holds master’s degrees from Cincinnati Bible Seminary and University of Kentucky and studied at Institute for Genealogical Research (IGHR) and Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). She serves as a director for North Carolina Genealogical Society. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, and several state and local societies.
She authored Research in Mississippi in National Genealogical Society’s Research in the States series in 2017. She wrote articles appearing in several genealogical publications. She hosts Zoom genealogy chats twice a month, providing networking opportunities for attendees.
Randy Whited
An avid researcher for over thirty years, Randy is the immediate Past President of the Texas State Genealogical Society and is now a TxSGS District Representative for the Austin area. Randy has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Federation of Genealogical Societies, as Program and Exhibit Hall Chairs for its conferences, and moderated FGS’s internet radio program. A data and technology enthusiast, Randy has over 30 years of experience in information technology and business intelligence. He earned his BA in Natural Science from the University of Texas at Austin with a major in Astronomy.
Conference: Conference Home • Registration • Sponsors
• Exhibitors • Door Prizes & Donors • Conference Policies
• Frequently Asked Questions • TxSGS Home
Program: Speakers & Topics • Speaker Bios
Partner Societies: TIPS • Media Resources
Follow our Blog | Subscribe to our eNews | Check the Conference Site
Questions? Email conference@txsgs.org.
Join the conversation @ #TxSGS2024