Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD
Blaine Bettinger, Ph.D., J.D., is a professional genealogist specializing in DNA evidence. In 2007 he started The Genetic Genealogist, one of the earliest blogs on the topic. He has also been an instructor at many of the established genealogical institutes and frequently gives presentations and webinars to educate others about the use of DNA to explore their ancestry. Blaine is the author of The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy, and co-author with Debbie Parker Wayne of the award-winning Genetic Genealogy in Practice, the world's first genetic genealogy workbook. He also co-authored "Genetics for Genealogy" with Judy Russell in 2018's Professional Genealogy: Preparation, Practice & Standards (ProGen PPS) (Elizabeth Shown Mills, Author and Editor).
Patti Lee Hobbs, CG
Patti Lee Hobbs, Certified Genealogist®, with a BA in biology, works as a professional genealogist and instructs on the use and analysis of DNA testing and how it complements traditional research in original records. Patti has presented numerous workshops on DNA locally and regionally and is the course coordinator for Institute for Genealogy and Historical Research's "Genetics for Genealogists: Beginning DNA." She has written two case studies identifying unknown ancestors, which have been published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly and Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies. Patti serves as a Board for Certification of Genealogists trustee, a BCG Education Fund trustee, and the chair of the Ozarks Genealogical Society Education Committee.
Kitty Munson Cooper
Kitty Munson Cooper is a well-known blogger on genetics and genealogy as well as a programmer and retired web designer. She is a featured speaker and has presented at many conferences. Her blog, which gets several thousand hits a day, includes numerous basic pictorial tutorials about using your DNA results and DNA tools to help with your DNA matches. You can find out more on Kitty's informative blog.
Judy G. Russell
The Legal Genealogist, Judy G. Russell is a genealogist with a law degree who writes and lectures on topics ranging from using court records in family history to understanding DNA testing. On the faculty of numerous genealogy institutes, she is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, from which she holds credentials as a Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genealogical Lecturer℠. Visit her award-winning blog for more information.
Michael Hait, CG, CGL
Michael Hait, CG, CGL, is a genealogical researcher, author, and instructor, specializing in research methodology, Maryland research, and African American genealogy. Michael is the course coordinator and an instructor for "Researching like a Professional" at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. His case studies have been published in the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, and the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal, among other genealogical journals and magazines. He is also a former board member of both the Association of Professional Genealogists and the Board for Certification of Genealogists.
Angela Parker McGhie, CG
Angela has a passion for teaching genealogy. She is the Education Director for the National Genealogical Society and a trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists. Angela enjoys coordinating courses for the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR) and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) and teaches at other genealogy institutes. She served as the administrator of the ProGen Study Program for six years and is now on the board of directors.
Angela speaks at national conferences and has published articles in the APG Quarterly and the NGS Magazine. She is a past president of the National Capital Area Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and currently serves a trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists Education Fund.
Michael L. Strauss, AG
Michael is a professional Accredited Genealogist and a nationally recognized genealogical speaker. He has been employed as a forensic genealogist for 25 years and has a BA in history and is a United States Coast Guard veteran. Michael is also a qualified expert witness in the courts in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and an approved genealogist with the United States Army to locate DNA qualified persons MIA from Korea, Vietnam, and World War II. Strauss has been a faculty member of IGHR, SLIG, and GRIP and has been involved in Civil War reenacting for more than 25 years and reenacts the Mormon Battalion with the Utah Living History Association.
LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, JD, LLM, CG, CGL
LaBrenda is a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She 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 School of Law. While practicing law LaBrenda authored several editions of her family history as well as two church histories. In 2016 She published A Guide to Researching African American Ancestors in Laurens County, South Carolina and Selected Finding Aids, a book that was widely acclaimed as a model for research in South Carolina and other states. Other Publications are listed on her website. She was the SLIG 2019 Course Coordinator for “1619-2019: Four Hundred Years of African American Genealogy,” is also on the faculty of the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, and is a frequent lecturer at other National venues.
Gena Philibert-Ortega
Gena is an author, researcher, and instructor whose focus is genealogy, social and women's history. She holds a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (Psychology and Women's Studies) and a Master’s degree in Religion. Her published works include two books, numerous articles published in magazines and online, two volumes of Tracing Female Ancestors (Moorshead Publishing), Tracing Your Ancestors: Hispanic Research (Moorshead Publishing) and a QuickGuide from Legacy Family Tree. She is the editor of the Utah Genealogical Association’s magazine, Crossroads. Her writings can be found on her blogs, Gena’s Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera as well as the GenealogyBank blog. She is a course instructor for The National Institute for Genealogical Studies. She has presented to diverse groups worldwide including the National Genealogical Society Conference, the Alberta Genealogical Society Conference, the Geo-Literary Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Legacy Family Tree Webinar series. Her research projects include Sowerby’s British Mineralogy: Its Influence on Martha Proby and Others in the Scientific Community during the 19th Century for the Gemological Institute of America, as well as genealogical research for the first season of PBS’s Genealogy Roadshow and the Travel Channel’s Follow Your Past. Her current research includes women's repatriation and citizenship in the 20th century, foodways and community in fundraising cookbooks, and women's material culture.
