Family History Conference Speakers
2024 Family History Conference Featured SpeakerDavid Rencher
David Rencher, AG®, CG®, FUGA, FIGRS, is employed as the Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch. A professional genealogist since 1977, he is one of the rare few who have earned both credentials: Accredited Genealogist® with ICAPGen in Ireland research (1981) and Certified Genealogist® with the Board for Certification of Genealogists (2006). He is the Irish course coordinator and instructor for the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research in Athens, Georgia, and the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
David graduated from Brigham Young University in 1980 with a BA in Family and Local History. He is a past-president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS), 1997–2000, a past-president of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) 1993–1995, and a fellow of that organization. He is a fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society in London. He is the past chair of the joint National Genealogical Society and International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies committee for the Record Preservation and Access Coalition. He serves as a director on the board of the National Genealogical Society and as a counselor for the New England Historic Genealogical Society.
|
Heather Richmond
Heather Richmond is a senior archivist at the State Historical Society of Missouri in Columbia, where she has worked since 2013. She received her Master’s degree in library studies with an emphasis in archives from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2007, and she has worked with digital collections for her entire career.
Jim Ross
Jim Ross is currently a co-webmaster for StLGS. He serves on the society’s Zoom team and as an instructor. He began working on his family’s genealogy in 2007. When he retired from the IT department at BJC HealthCare after more than thirty-six years, he was finally able to dedicate more time to finding his great-grandfather’s birthplace in Ireland. (Still searching!) One of Jim’s favorite responsibilities at BJC was teaching people how to use various software programs. Jim has become an enthusiastic user of RootsMagic and has taught several classes on that software program for the society.
Brent Trout
Brent Trout is the manager of the Emerson History & Genealogy Center at St. Louis County Library Clark Family Branch. Brent comes from a museum background, serving as the executive director of museums in Oklahoma and Florida. Brent’s interest in genealogy developed while in Oklahoma, where he assisted several individuals with tribal enrollment. A dedicated public servant for most of his career, Brent has recently entered the professional genealogy field within libraries and looks forward to assisting many folks in their pursuit of family history and connections.
Katelyn “Katie” Ziegler
Katie Ziegler is a newspaper librarian at the State Historical Society of Missouri (SHSMO) where she has worked since the spring of 2021. In addition to assisting patrons in SHSMO’s Columbia Research Center, she manages the Missouri Digital Newspaper Project (MDNP) and works with libraries and publishers to archive local titles. A 2018 graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with an emphasis in public history, Ziegler is currently working toward her Master’s of Library and Information Science degree through the University of Missouri.
Return to Family History Conference
Last modified: 15-Aug-2024 11:55