2025 TxSGS Conference Speaker Biographies | Texas State Genealogical Society

2025 TxSGS Family History Conference Menu

Deborah A. Abbott, PhD

Deborah A. Abbott, PhD, is a professional genealogist specializing in genealogical methodology, manuscript collections, and African American family research. She coordinates the African American tracks at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) and the GRIP Genealogical Institute. She teaches at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR). She also teaches African American genealogy research on Ancestry Academy entitled “Needles and Threads.”

Julia A. Anderson, MA, AG®, AGL®

Julia A. Anderson is a research specialist on the United States and Canada team at the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City; an adjunct faculty member at Salt Lake Community College in their online genealogy program; and owner of Anderson Genealogical Research, LLC based in Orem, Utah. She serves as the Summit of Excellence conference chair for the Utah Genealogical Association and is a commissioner on the board of ICAPGen.

Kelli Bergheimer

Kelli Jo Bergheimer is a writer, teacher, editor, and international genealogical speaker. Kelli holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s in education curriculum and instruction, and a master’s in business management. Kelli is the director of curriculum and assessments for Blue Kayak, a K-12 textbook company. She also works as the director of education for Your DNA Guide. Kelli runs a small business—Mess on the Desk, a genealogical organization company with a YouTube channel. She is the facilitator for Genetics, Genealogy, and You, an online DNA interest group. Kelli is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Genealogical Speaker’s Guild member. Her specialties are DNA analysis and genealogical organization.

Henrietta M. Christmas

Henrietta is a 15th generation New Mexico. She is a well-known genealogical and historical researcher. She volunteers with the Daughters of the American Revolutions (DAR), Specialty Research in Spain, to collaborate with females who would like to honor their ancestors who provided aid to the American Revolution. She authored the state research guide for New Mexico in the May/June 2023 issue of Family Tree Magazine, and was an instructor at the 2023 TIGR focusing on Hispanic research.

Nicole Dyer

Nicole Dyer is a professional genealogist specializing in Southern United States research and genetic genealogy. She is the creator of FamilyLocket.com and the Research Like a Pro Genealogy odcast. She co-authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide and Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence and is an instructor for the study groups of the same name. She lectures at conferences and institutes including the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research. Nicole holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in history teaching. Nicole is a project manager, editor, and researcher at Family Locket Genealogists,.

Diana Elder, AG®, AGL®

Diana Elder is a professional genealogist accredited in the Gulf South region of the United States. Diana authored Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide and co-authored the companion volume, Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist’s Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence. Diana and her daughter, Nicole Dyer, host the Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast and share research tips on their website, FamilyLocket.com.

Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS, FTxSGS

Colleen Robledo Greene is an academic librarian and educator who has researched her family history since 1997. She is the digital scholarship librarian at California State Fullerton and has taught a graduate-level genealogy course for San Jose State since 2016. Colleen is a nationally recognized genealogy educator and speaker who specializing in methodology, Mexican & Chicano research, libraries and archives, and technology. She has coordinated for TIGR and taught for SLIG and IGHR.

Debbie Gurtler

Debbie Gurtler graduated with honors from Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in family history. She has made research trips to Spain, Portugal, Virginia, and North Carolina. She is employed by FamilySearch as the assistant director of the FamilySearch Library in Salt Lake City. Fluent in Spanish, she can read genealogical documents in Portuguese, Italian, and French. Debbie holds five AG® credentials, for the United States Mid-South, Spain, Mexico, Chile, and Portugal.

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 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 19 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 archival 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 honed his research skills by tracing his own family line that came to America in the late 1800s.

Tina LaFreniere

Tina LaFreniere, founder and CEO of Related Faces, is dedicated to preserving family photo history. After inheriting thousands of unidentified photos, she began educating others on best practices for photo digitization and facial recognition. Since 2022, Tina has been a passionate speaker, helping people identify unknown faces in their photos and expand their genealogical searches. Her expertise ensures that everyone can save and cherish their family history through effective digitization techniques.

J. Mark Lowe, FUGA

J. Mark Lowe describes himself as “born to be curious.” He is a professional genealogist and educator who specializes in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. He has coordinated “Research in the South” courses at IGHR, SLIG, and TIGR and worked on several TV series, and currently hosts a YouTube channel and does webinars. He is a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Association.

Margaret McMahon

With a PhD in computer science and engineering, Margaret McMahon combines expertise as a flight test and systems engineer with her role as an educator, to the realms of genealogy, military history, and cybersecurity. Margaret blends technical proficiency and her passion for family stories in her written works and engaging lectures. She serves as the unofficial historian for the 51st Pioneer Infantry Regiment and is a proud graduate of ProGen Study Group 46.

Kelvin L. Meyers, FTxSGS

Kelvin L. Meyers, a fifth generation Texan, has been a professional forensic genealogist since 1996. He is a frequent speaker to U.S. genealogical societies and family associations. After ten years in Dallas Public Library’s genealogy department, Kelvin now has a solo practice as a forensic genealogist serving clients including probate attorneys, bank trust departments, the U.S. Immigration Service, and energy companies. He also specializes in southern brick wall problems for clients.

Gail Jackson Miller, CG®

Gail Jackson Miller is professional genealogist, teacher, and lecturer specializing in the mid-South. She was certified by BCG in 1999 and has more than 25 years of profession work on southern families. In addition to her regional work, she has spoken nationally at NGS, IGHR, SLIG, and for Legacy Family Tree Webinars. In her prior life, she was a nationally recognized biology teacher working with high school and college students.

Andrew Redfern

Andrew Redfern is a passionate family historian and technology enthusiast. Since his initial interest in researching his family tree in the mid-1980s, Andrew developed a deep interest in how technology can enhance the way we explore and preserve our family histories. Recently, Andrew became interested in the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning to aid family historians. He explores how various AI-powered tools and software that can assist in genealogical research and is excited about the possibilities they offer.

Diane L. Richard

Diane provides professional genealogical services, including research, lectures, and writing. A longtime editor of the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS) journal, she has authored 600+ articles and many talks, focusing on the availability and richness of underutilized genealogical records, especially those of Southern, enslaved/free persons of color (FPOC), and women. She also provides research tips, techniques, tools, strategies, etc. She is the owner of MosaicRPM, co-owner of GenWebinars and Tar Heel Discoveries, and vice president of NC Historical Records Online (NCHRO).

Katy Rowe-Schurwanz

Katy Rowe-Schurwanz has always loved stories. Her maternal grandparents told her tales of their family history as she grew up, inspiring her to become a genealogist like her grandfather. After studying creative writing, history, and anthropology at Southern Methodist University, she joined FamilyTreeDNA in 2015. As product manager, Katy uses her passion for storytelling to improve FamilyTreeDNA’s genetic genealogy products so everyone can discover their family story.

David Ryan

David Ryan MA DIPGEN is a professional genealogist and historical researcher based in Cork, Ireland. He has a master’s in public history from the University of Limerick and a diploma in genealogy from University College Cork. He has worked as a professional genealogist for the past decade and currently is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists’ executive board.

Craig R. Scott

Craig Roberts Scott, CG, FUGA is the president and CEO of Heritage Books, Inc., a genealogical publishing firm with over 10,000 titles in print. A researcher for forty years, he specializes in records of the National Archives, especially those that relate to the military. He has coordinated the military tracks at IGHR, SLIG, and GRIP in years past. He is currently the coordinator of the SLIG consultation track, helping students solve their brick wall problems.

Michael L. Strauss

Michael L. Strauss, AG®, is a professional genealogist and military historian with an MA in history and a United States Coast Guard veteran. His expertise is recognized in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia courts, where he has testified as an expert witness. Michael has lectured at universities, conferences, and institutes and contributed to publications, including peer-reviewed articles, public history writing, and book reviews highlighting his vast knowledge of military history, records, and research.

Paula Stuart-Warren

Paula Stuart-Warren is a full time genealogical and historical researcher, lecturer, and author. A Board-certified genealogist since 1988, she is a firm believer in continuing education in genealogy, a belief evident in all her activities. She has lectured at NGS and FGS since the early 1990s and has served in various roles with the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Minnesota Genealogical Society, and the Federation of Genealogical Societies. She has also coordinated a course at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP).

Larry W. Thomas

Larry, a retired U.S. Army Captain with 23 years in aviation, transportation and logistics, holds an MBA in management information systems and is a certified project management professional. A genealogist for over 30 years, he founded Atlanta Genealogy in 2008 and contributed to Finding Your Roots (Terry Crews, Rita Dove, Julia Roberts episodes). As president of the Genealogical Speakers Guild, Larry brings energy and humor to his presentations, making genealogy research both educational and fun.

Pam Vestal

Pam Vestal is a professional genealogist and speaker who turned her focus to her longtime love of genealogy after a 20-year writing career. Her articles have appeared in the National Genealogical Society Magazine and the Association of Professional Genealogists’ APG Quarterly, and her lectures take her from coast to coast. Pam specializes in conducting genealogical research and then transforming that information into illustrated stories that even non-genealogists can enjoy.

Ari Wilkins, FTxSGS

Ari is a coordinator and lecturer at TIGR, SLIG, GRIP, and IGHR. She specializes in African American research and speaks on a variety of topics. Ari is a fellow of Texas State Genealogical Society and is a recipient of the Lloyd Bockstruck Distinguished Service Award.

2025 TxSGS Family History Conference Menu

Deborah A. Abbott, PhD

The TxSGS DNA Project