Presented by Penny Walters, PhD on 7 Apr 2020.
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Genealogists investigate very personal aspects of people’s lives, and it can be very difficult to know how to give bad or unexpected news. Learning to deliver bad or unexpected news effectively can turn an uncomfortable situation into one that improves your relationship with the client, boosts your credibility, and can give confidence for the next similar situation.
Dr. Penny Walters’ PhD researched Ethical Dilemmas, and she has been an undergraduate and postgraduate (Masters) University lecturer for 30 years in Psychology & Business Studies. Penny's interest in genealogy started after having her first child and then wondering about her own biological parents, as she was adopted. DNA testing initially revealed 71% Irish heritage, which has been refined now to 94%, which supports her paper trail and recent collaboration with 2 very helpful American 3rd cousin DNA matches. Having researched her 2 family trees for 30 years, Penny lectures internationally and writes articles about genealogy topics, including: ethical dilemmas in genealogy; mixing DNA results with a paper trail; the psychology of searching; adoption; black British heritage; ethnicity and identity; diaspora; and Irish heritage. The articles include one about ethical dilemmas for the APG Quarterly, and a forthcoming article about adoption in Forum (The Federation of Genealogical Societies quarterly magazine), and numerous for Family Tree magazine (UK).
Penny has recently lectured at Roots Tech London and will be lecturing at Roots Tech USA (Feb 2020); the UK’s national Family Tree Live; Ireland’s Back to Our Past; also the annual conferences of: the British Jewish Genealogy Society, the Federation of Family History Societies, Register of Qualified Genealogists, and the Guild of One Name Studies. Penny has also presented at the APG annual conference (2018) and at Brigham Young University’s annual family history event (2019).
Penny will be lecturing about ethical dilemmas at the UK's forthcoming national Family Tree live, and discussing adoption issues at a half day workshop at the London Society of Genealogists, and at a range of regional events. Penny has recently published her book 'Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy,' and will be publishing ‘The Psychology of Searching’ soon.
Melody Daisson is an Accredited Genealogist professional in the Southeast region of the United States. Melody co-leads the ICAPGen study groups. She wrote the curriculum for the ICAPGen Study Groups in January 2019 and leads the peer review mentor team for the ICAPGen Study Level 1 Study Group. Melody’s passion is teaching others about the research process and report writing. She teaches online instructor at Brigham Young University- Idaho. She also works as a professional genealogist for Family Locket Genealogists. Melody was the 2020 recipient of the UGA Jimmy B. Parker Scholarship.
Nicky Smith is [almost] an Accredited Genealogist in the Great Lakes Region [just waiting on the results from Level 3]. Nicky is the ICAPGen Study Group Liason, a Level 1 Study Group mentor, and presents lectures for the ICAPGen Level 2 & 3 study group. Nicky has served at the Brigham Young University Family History Library (BYU FHL) for the past five years. She is a member of the BYU FHL Training Committee that provides educational activities and opportunities for the approximately 140 missionaries serving at the BYU FHL.
Jill Morelli, CG® lectures about her Midwestern, northern German and Scandinavian ancestors nationwide with a focus on intermediate and advanced methodologies, and unique records sets. She also writes (NGSQ, Sept 2017, Dec 2018, Swedish American Genealogist, etc.) and takes clients. She is president of the Seattle Genealogical Society and belongs to Association of Professional Genealogists, Genealogy Speakers Guild and others. After obtaining her credential as a Certified Genealogist, she began an online course sharing her experiences in order to demystify the process of certification to all who are interested in going “on the clock.”
Elizabeth O’Neal is a professional genealogist who writes, lectures, and consults on a variety of topics. Her passion is using technology and social media to enrich the experience of genealogy research and family history storytelling.
Cara graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Family History and a Master’s Degree in American History. She particularly enjoys researching in military records and the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. Cara is a member of the Utah Genealogical Association and is employed as a research specialist on the VIP Team at the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. More information on Cara can be found at