Presented by Kelly Richardson; on 21 Mar 2023.

This is a virtual meeting: Join us here!

Presented by Jenna Smith on 6 Apr 2023.

Learn tips and tricks for navigating the U.S. census and solving difficult research problems. Was your ancestor missed by the enumerator? Hiding from the law or a previous family? Learn advanced techniques and tricks for deciphering the census and chipping away at brick walls.

Jenna Smith is a forensic genealogist who specializes in solving complex cases involving probate, real estate, and oil and gas cases. She started college as a math major with a computer science minor who took genealogy classes for fun. After many detours, she graduated from BYU in April 2016 with a bachelor's degree of general studies in family history and genealogy (and a minor in math). She has thirty-five years of research experience and enjoys helping friends and family solve tough research problems.

Jenna first attended Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy in 2017 when she unknowingly registered for the advanced practicum. She survived and returned for many more institutes, including Proving Your Pedigree with DNA in Fall 2022.

She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogist forensic special interest group and helps with speakers for the Utah Genealogical Association’s South Davis County chapter. She is happiest when she is relaxing on the beach, playing pickleball or board games, and quoting movies with her husband and their three sons.

Presented by Tina LaFreniere on 18 Apr 2023.

This is a virtual meeting: Join us here!

Every day that passes bits of photographic family history are sold, thrown out, or otherwise discarded, because people inherit unlabeled photos, and the person who knew who was in the photos has passed.

Tina’s presentation will step you through the features of Related Faces, show you some techniques for making positive identifications and matches, and addresses how to utilize your cell phone to digitize your old photos. Related Faces is easy and intuitive to use, yet the technologically is powerful. Tina’s goal is for Related Faces to become a place where people can recapture their family history and reconnect with long lost family members, brought together by the faces of their ancestors.

Tina LaFreniere is the founder and CEO of Related Faces Technologies. She a graduate of The University of Houston where she earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance. She is a former Assistant Vice President and Production Manager for a mortgage brokerage firm in Dallas, Texas. Tina began her genealogical journey over 15 years ago and along the way she has inherited thousands of photos from her family, hundreds with no identification. These photos were the inspiration for Related Faces back in 2018 when she conceived the idea for Related Faces, and the idea took first place at the Google Techstars Start-up Weekend in Ft. Myers. Related Faces was launched in February of 2022 and was issued a U.S. Patent in October of 2022. Tina is a member of the Genealogical Society of Collier County, Florida, the National Genealogical Society and The Photo Managers Group. Related Faces is an AWS Activate Entrepreneur company and a Family Search Registered Solutions Provider.