Michael Brophy is a nationally known professional genealogical researcher, heir search specialist, and lecturer from the Boston area. He has served as Program Director and Publicity Director for the Massachusetts Genealogical Council. He was the first Treasurer of the New England of Association of Professional Genealogists. Mike earned an MBA from Suffolk University and a BBA from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Mike was featured on the Irish TV series Dead Money, a genealogy TV show about heir searchers. In 2010, Mr. Brophy was hired to conduct research for the NBC television program “Who Do You Think You Are?” on an episode dedicated to the family history of actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
Alice Childs, AG®
Alice Childs is a professional genealogist accredited in the United States Mid-Atlantic region and the Assistant Director of the BYU Center for Family History and Genealogy. Alice enjoys teaching at genealogy conferences and is the author of the GenealogyNow blog at alicechilds.com where she shares family history resources and inspiration for genealogists of all ages and stages.
Cheri Daniels, MSLS
Spanning a career of over 30 years, Cheri Daniels has worked in various types of repositories, with the most recent decade spent managing the library and archives departments of state and national organizations, editing an online genealogy publication, and serving as a producer for an award winning state-wide television program devoted to helping families break down their brick walls. She is also a contributing author to the book Genealogy and the Librarian (2018, McFarland). When she is not writing, researching, or speaking on the national stage, Cheri is producing and hosting her own podcast, “BloodRoot,” to share stories from her own genealogical journey. You can learn more about her personal projects and upcoming speaking engagements at genealogyliteracy.com.
Nicole Elder Dyer
Nicole Dyer is a genealogist, lecturer, and creator of FamilyLocket.com, where she and her mother, Diana Elder, write about finding ancestors and keeping them close to the heart. Nicole is a co-author of the book Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist’s Guide and speaks regularly at genealogy conferences and local events. Nicole is a steering committee member at the Pima County Genealogy Society and specializes in Southern United States and Confederate soldier research. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in History Teaching and taught middle school for one year before her children were born. She and her husband, Lance, live in Tucson, Arizona with their three children, ages 7, 4, and 1.
Nicole teaches family history story time for preschool age children at the Tucson Family History Center and consults in local middle schools during units on family history.
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. She created a study group and eCourse that teach the Research Like a Pro process through videos and learning modules. Diana and her daughter, Nicole, share research tips on their website, Family Locket (https://familylocket.com/), and host the Research Like a Pro Genealogy Podcast.
Diana regularly teaches at genealogy conferences such as RootsTech and the National Genealogy Society Conference. She also presents webinars and seminars to local genealogy societies across the United States.
Teri E. Flack, MA, MBA, FTxSGS
Teri E. Flack, M.A. (Public History), M.B.A., began her family history quest over 50 years ago when she asked her paternal grandmother to tell her everything she knew about the Flacks and Fenleys. Although she had to be content with researching fits and starts while she worked for the state of Texas, once she retired in 2009, she turned her attention full-time to genealogy.
In addition to lecturing on genealogy topics, she volunteered for local, state, and national organizations. Teri was treasurer for the Austin Genealogical Society; and she served the Federation of Genealogical Societies as interim President, Vice President of Administration, and Director. Her recent volunteer efforts have focused on preserving records and ensuring their accessibility to researchers. She is a fellow of the Texas State Genealogical Society, chairing the TxSGS Records Preservation and Access Coalition and serving as the Texas state liaison to the national RPAC. She is a volunteer archivist for the Texas State Archives processing Galveston County records and creating finding aids to make them accessible. Teri also served two terms on the Texas Historical Records Advisory Board. She served multiple terms on the Travis County Historical Commission and just completed her eighth year as the county historical marker chair.
Teri’s lecturing experience includes multiple Legacy Family Tree Webinars (“Organization: the Key to Successful Research,” “Seeing the Patterns: Organize, Visualize, & Evaluate the Evidence,” and 5 webinars for the “Researching Texas” series); FGS national conferences (multiple presentations at numerous conferences); faculty member, Texas Institute for Genealogical Research; Texas State Genealogical Society (multiple presentations at numerous conferences); and multi-presentation seminars to genealogical societies.
LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG®, CGL™, FASG
LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson earned a BA from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, and both a Law degree and a Master of Laws degree from New York University. She enjoyed a 35-year career as a tax lawyer before her 2013 retirement from a partner-level position at Ernst & Young (EY) and is now a full-time genealogist focused on teaching and writing. Her research centers on African American families that survived American slavery. She was elected to the first of three terms as a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists® in 2016, and served three terms as BCG President from 2019-2022.
In 2021 LaBrenda was elected as the 170th Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists (ASG), the field’s honorary scholarly society that was founded in 1940 and is limited to fifty life-time members; election is based on the quality of a genealogist’s published work. As described in ASG’s press release: “Her educational publications include a guide to researching African-American family history in Laurens County, South Carolina, where she has roots—a primer with important methodological lessons applicable nationally—and an authoritative guide to genealogical research in the state of Alabama.” She received the 2021 Award of Excellence from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and now serves on the editorial board of that journal.
She was the mentor of ProGen 37, and she coordinates the African American Track at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She also teaches various subjects as a member of the faculty of the GRIP Genealogy Institute, the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records, and the Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research. Previously she served as a teaching assistant on the faculty of Boston University’s Online Genealogical Program from 2016–2019.
For more information see her website https://www.LabGarrettGenealogy.com.
Mark Humphries
Jan Joyce, DBA, CG®, CGL(sm), AG®
Jan Joyce is a board-certified genealogist whose journey began in 1998 while managing the marketing initiatives at Genealogy.com. Her personal research delves into ancestral roots across Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, tracing lineages back to England, Germany, Ireland, and Norway. She holds CG and CGL certifications from the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) and the AG accreditation from ICAPGen.
Specializing in research methodology, Jan divides her time between personal research, writing, and education. She developed the comprehensive “Assemblage” course for the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), which guides students through preparing, writing, and revising case studies. Her innovative Document Work Workshop helps aspiring genealogists prepare for BCG certification. And at the GRIP Genealogy Institute she is pioneering “Merging & Separating Identities: Strategies and Tactics to Solve” to advance the field’s research strategies and tactics.
David Kirkpatrick
David Kirkpatrick is a Kentucky historian and archivist who has spent almost twenty years working in public history. David obtained his BA in History from the University of Louisville in 2007 and his MA in History from Western Kentucky University in 2017. David worked in the Archives Research Room at the Department for Libraries and archives for more than a decade where he assisted researchers in both academic and genealogical research. At present, he serves as the Assistant Director of the Mercer County Public Library and Manager of the History Research Center there. David has authored several articles and book reviews and is the author of The War of 1812 in the West: From Fort Detroit to New Orleans.
Kevin Klaus
Kevin Klaus is the team leader of the Archives and Records Program Area Research Room. A native Texan, born on the Texas coast and growing up in the Hill Country, early on he had an interest in Texas history. Beginning in 1990, he served eight years in the United States Army. In 1998 honorably discharged from the Army in New Mexico and returned home to Central Texas where he grew up. Kevin has a background in Anthropology, Archaeology, and Public History from the University of New Mexico. Over the last 23 years he 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.
Steve Little
Steve Little is the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Program Director for the National Genealogical Society and has lifelong passions for language, technology, and genealogy. He completed graduate-level courses in applied linguistics, specializing in natural language processing and computational linguistics, two pillars of today’s large language models of AI; his first career was spent in and around libraries (law, local, university, and state archives) building information systems. Steve traces his deep roots to one Appalachian county, where, by 1820, all 32 of his 3rd-great-grandparents had settled—many even earlier than that. In fact, 60 of his most recent ancestors were born, lived, and died there, in Ashe County, North Carolina. His passion lies in AI & genetic genealogy: with a keen interest in endogamy, pedigree collapse, deciphering multiple relationships, and an insatiable curiosity to explore beneficial uses and current limits of artificial intelligence in genealogy. Beyond genealogy, Steve wears many hats: he’s a husband and a dad, a Methodist pastor, and a Virginian. His hobbies span from bird watching and sky gazing; to chess and film. Additionally, he’s an avid reader, writer, photographer, and regex script hacker.
J. Mark Lowe, FUGA
J. Mark Lowe is a professional genealogist, author, and lecturer who specializes in original records and manuscripts throughout the South. Mark lives in Robertson County, Tennessee, which lies in northern Middle Tennessee along the Kentucky border.
He serves as the Course Coordinator for ‘Research in the South’ at IGHR (Georgia), SLIG (Utah), and TIGR (Texas), does Webinars for Legacy Family Tree Webinars and has worked on several genealogical television series including Follow Your Past, African American Lives 2, Who Do You Think You Are? and UnXplained Events, and podcasts, including Twice Removed and Blast From My Past.
Mark has published in the Association of Professional Genealogists Quarterly (APGQ), National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ), FGS’ FORUM. The Longhunter (So. Ky. Genealogical Society), Middle Tennessee Genealogical Society Quarterly, North Carolina Genealogical Quarterly, and other society publications. He is a Past President of the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), and Past President of the Southern Kentucky Genealogical Society Mark is a Fellow of the Utah Genealogical Society and was awarded the Graham T. Smallwood award and Lifetime Membership award by the Association of Professional Genealogists.
Angela Packer McGhie, CG®, FUGA
Angela Packer McGhie, CG, is a professional researcher, lecturer, and instructor. She is the Vice President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She enjoys coordinating and teaching courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records. Angela served as the administrator of the ProGen Study Program from 2008-2014 and is now on the board of directors. She was honored with a certificate of appreciation from the Association of Professional Genealogists for her leadership and service.
Kelvin L. Meyers
A fifth generation Texan and professional forensic genealogist since 1996, Kelvin Meyers is a frequent speaker to genealogical societies and family associations throughout the United States. After being employed for ten years in the Genealogy Department of the Dallas Public Library, Kelvin now has a solo practice as a forensic genealogist serving clients that include probate attorneys, trust department of banks, the US Immigration Service and energy companies. He also specializes in southern brick wall problems for clients.
Kelvin is a 1989 and 1990 alum of the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University and has returned to IGHR as lecturer. In 2016 he co-coordinated with J. Mark Lowe, “A Swing Through the South” at SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogical Research).
He is a past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and a past President of the Lone Star Chapter of APG.
Kelvin has recently published Research in Texas for NGS (National Genealogical Society) Research in the States series. Kelvin also currently serves as the chairman of the history and archives committee for First United Methodist Church in Dallas.
Gail Jackson Miller, CG®
Gail Jackson Miller is a professional genealogist and lecturer specializing in Kentucky and Tennessee research. She grew up in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky with family lines extending back to the early 1800s in Kentucky or Tennessee. With over 40 years of genealogical research, she continues to enhance her general knowledge of families and records.
In 1999, Gail became a board certified genealogist with the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. She helped open the LDS Family History Center in Bowling Green in 1989 and is the current Director. She is a past president of the Southern Kentucky Genealogical Society and served as editor of The Longhunter, for eleven years. She was also editor of the Muhlenberg County Genealogical Society’s The Heritage for several years. Prior to her professional genealogy work, she was a nationally recognized biology teacher with experience with both high school and college students.
Sandra Rumble
Sandy Rumble started her career as a software developer and trainer. For over 30 years, Sandy was the go-to person to train new users in cutting-edge software, developing in-house training programs for new development tools. Sandy began teaching genealogy, the Constitution, Congress, and the judicial system at the Delaware Valley University Center for Learning in Retirement, expanding her interest in teaching outside the software industry. Sandy speaks about military research, researching Colonial Pennsylvania, lineage research, and research planning at genealogical institutes, conferences, genealogical and historical societies, and DAR Chapters. As a course coordinator for GRIP, Sandy coordinated Documentation for Lineage Societies and co-coordinated Answering the Call of Uncle Sam, an exploration of 18th & 19th-century American military records.
Judy G. Russell, JD, CG®, CGL(sm), FUGA
Judy G. Russell, The Legal Genealogist®, is a genealogist with a law degree who blogs and lectures on a wide variety of topics, providing expert guidance through the murky territory where law and family history intersect. A Colorado native with maternal roots deep in Texas and the American south and paternal roots entirely in Germany, she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer℠ from the Board for Certification of Genealogists®.
She is an internationally-known lecturer and course coordinator and faculty member at numerous genealogical institutes, and a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society and numerous state and regional genealogical societies. A recipient of the 2015 Silver Tray Award from the Utah Genealogical Association and the 2017 Award of Excellence from the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, she now serves as a member of the NGSQ editorial board.
Her award-winning blog appears at https://www.legalgenealogist.com.
Katherine Schober, MA
Katherine Schober of Germanology Unlocked is a German genealogy speaker, author, and translator, specializing in the old German handwriting. She is the author of “The Magic of German Church Records” and “Tips and Tricks of Deciphering German Handwriting,” as well as the creator of the online courses “Reading the Old German Handwriting” and “German for Genealogists.” Katherine lives in Bend, Oregon with her Austrian husband and their son, and can be reached via e-mail at katherine_schober@germanologyunlocked.com or at her website germanologyunlocked.com.
John Sellers
John A. Sellers graduated from Texas Tech University, with a degree in advertising/public relations and received his teaching certificate in history from Texas A & M, Commerce. He has been doing genealogical and historical research since 1985. John has visited courthouses in several southern states and has conducted extensive research in Texas and Louisiana.
Michael L. Strauss, AG®
Michael L. Strauss, AG®, is a professional genealogist and military historian with over 30 years of experience in the field. He holds a BA in History and is 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 articles, and book reviews that highlight his expertise in military history
Cari Taplin, CG®
Cari A. Taplin is related to Roy Rogers. Or at least that’s what her family told her. As a result, finding her true heritage has been her focus since the year 2000. She is a native of Wood County, Ohio but now lives in Longmont, Colorado. Cari holds the Certified Genealogist® credential and has served in a wide variety of volunteer and leadership positions for state, local, and national societies. As the owner of GenealogyPANTS, she provides speaking services. She also lends help and shares her expertise as an administrator on the highly popular Facebook Group “The Genealogy Squad.” Cari currently works for Ancestry ProGenealogists. Cari’s personal research focuses on midwestern and Great Lakes states.
Mark Thompson
Mark Thompson is a professional genealogist and public speaker specializing in the application of artificial intelligence to genealogy. As co-host of the Family History AI Show podcast alongside Steve Little, Mark helps genealogists bridge the gap between high technology and their family history research.
With a background in executive IT leadership, Mark brings a unique perspective to the rapidly evolving field of AI-assisted genealogy. He currently serves as President of the Victoria Genealogical Society and chairs their DNA Special Interest Group.
A member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Mark is a frequent presenter on technology-centric genealogy topics including AI, Genetic Genealogy, and Family Archiving.
When not exploring family histories, he enjoys photographing nature in his home province of British Columbia.
Contact: Mark@MakingFamilyHistory.com | www.makingfamilyhistory.com
Carlos Varela
Carlos Varela is a native from El Paso, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a BA and MA in History. He previously served as president of the Association of Applied Border History, a community-based organization that sought to preserve and digitize Bracero Program documents. Carlos is currently a Spanish Collection Research & Outreach Specialist for the Texas General Land Office Archives and Records Program.
Ari Wilkins, FTxSGS
Ari Wilkins, a graduate of Louisiana State University, has been actively researching family history since 1998. Ari worked with the esteemed genealogist, Dr. James Rose, for many years on his final project, Generations: The WPA Ex-Slave Narrative Database. She is the owner of the genealogical consulting company, Black Genesis. Ari also works as a contributor for ProQuest’s African American Heritage database. Ari has instructed at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research. She has been a conference speaker at the National Genealogical Society, Federation of Genealogical Societies, Texas State Genealogical Society, Ohio Genealogical Society, American Library Association, and has lectured at a multitude of local societies. Ari has been a Library Associate at Dallas Public Library since 2007. She specializes in African American research and has lectured on African American migration.
TIGR 2025 Menu
TIGR Home • Course Summary • Coordinators • Faculty • Course Schedules • FAQs
Registration • TxSGS Home • TxSGS Facebook
Follow our Blog | Subscribe to our eNews | Check the TIGR Website
Questions? Email tigr@txsgs.org.
Follow us and join the conversation!