2023 Board Election Results

The Utah Genealogical Association recently held elections for board positions and the following are the election results!

Returning Board Members:

Bonnie Andersen lives in Lehi, Utah. She attended Salt Lake Community College and earned certificates in both U.S. Genealogy Research and Writing, and International Genealogy Research and Writing. As a single young woman, she attended Brigham Young University, 1979-1982, where she met her husband of nearly 42 years. They have six daughters and twelve grandchildren. At the age of thirty-six, she found my birth mother. The next year she found my birth father. From that point on she has delved into as many records about her biological family as her shovel can scrape up. She has written generational research reports about some of them and still have many to finish. There have been so many miracles connected to her research. Bonnie has been the committee chair for the UGA First Families of Utah. Part of this responsibility includes reviewing pioneer applications submitted by their fine descendants. She has so enjoyed reading the many stories of their lives and is excited to be able to continue on with this position.

Michael Crowther is a strong proponent for technology-driven genealogy. He has a double-major bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in Genealogy and Computer Science. He has been on the UGA board over the Technology Committee serving also as the Webmaster for a little more than a year. He has been an employee of FamilySearch for three years and is currently a Software Engineer working on tools for index improvement. On the side, he is working on his own software projects - one to auto-generate guided genealogy tasks and another to set and track habits. In his free time, he enjoys running, swimming, using his 3d-printer, spending time with friends and family, playing board games, and solving ciphers. 

Peggy Clemens Lauritzen, AG, FOGS, has an amazing ability to bring laughter into the lives of her audience members. One of her favorite photos is a picture of her mother on her way to a church picnic, then on to an afternoon of cemetery transcribing. It was taken just four days before Peggy was born! Having grown up with parents that were deeply involved in genealogy takes her love of family history to a new level. Some people are amazed that she knew people that were actually born in the 1800’s; her own grandparents. Listening to the stories from bygone years, touching the fabrics from quilts, dresses, blessing gowns, and bonnets all have added to the admiration of previous generations. Peggy is a frequent lecturer at many local societies in Ohio, as well as Family History seminars. She has presented at Brigham Young University, and ICAPGen, and taught Continuing Education classes at several community colleges and The Ohio State University. One of her proudest moments was achieving the credentials that qualified her to be an Accredited Genealogist, for it polished her research skills. She is a featured columnist in Reminisce magazine, has written several Legacy QuickGuides, and has filmed as an instructor for Ancestry Academy, and worked as a researcher for Ancestry ProGenealogists. She was recognized for her work by being award the title of Fellow of the Ohio Genealogical Society in 2018, as well as receiving the Laura G. Prescott Award for Exemplary Service in Genealogy. 

New Board Members:

Angie Holbrook Stewart's interest in genealogy began as a child on the family room floor leafing through the giant multi-generational ancestral books her great-grandparents assembled. Years later, a beloved grandmother handed her an accordion stack of files and asked for help researching her paternal line. This request resulted in over 21 years of genealogical research, a return to higher education, and a love of connecting families. In April 2021, she graduated from Brigham Young University – Idaho in University Studies with a certificate and associate degree in Family History Research. Currently, she is in her second year at the University of Strathclyde working on a master’s degree in Genealogical, Paleographic & Heraldic Studies. She loves genetic genealogy and has taken several courses through her schooling and on her own to enhance her skills in this field.

Amy Rose Ward has been involved in genealogy in different capacities for several years and always finds it a pleasure to help people discover more about their roots. In 2022 she graduated with her Masters in Genealogical, Palaeographic and Heraldic Studies from University of Strathclyde in Scotland. Her dissertation allowed her to hone academic research, analysis, and writing skills, and she loved delving into the communities and people of Tremonton and Bear River City, Utah through her research topic. Currently she is working at the FamilySearch Library as a volunteer on the US/Canada floor. Her research areas of focus are Great Britain, as well as the Midwest and New England regions. She has over a decade of experience in non-profit work. In 2011 she started a community orchestra and strings education program and has served continuously as the president of that board. One day a week she volunteers downtown at the FamilySearch Library to increase her knowledge and get out of the house! 

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Silver Tray Award 2023: Debbie Parker Wayne

 

The Silver Tray Award is given by the Utah Genealogical Association for scholarly contributions to the field of genealogy and family history. Since 1988, it has traditionally been given for publication efforts. This year’s Silver Tray Award goes to a true pioneer in the area of genetic genealogy. UGA is profoundly honored to present the Silver Tray Award posthumously to Debbie Parker Wayne.

Many here have learned how to apply insights from DNA results to genealogical research and proof arguments from Debbie through the several institute courses and conference presentations she taught over the years. Many more have read and benefitted from reading Genetic Genealogy in Practice, which she co-authored with Blaine Bettinger, and Advanced Genetic Genealogy, which she edited and for which she wrote a chapter using a case study to demonstrate how to combine evidence from autosomal DNA and Y-DNA. For years, she wrote columns on using DNA analysis for the National Genealogical Society Magazine and for the Stirpes journal of the Texas State Genealogical Society.

Debbie was a former trustee and secretary for the Board for Certification of Genealogists, a trustee of BCG’s Education Fund, a former board member for the Association for Professional Genealogists, and a past president of APG’s Lone Star Chapter.

Debbie passed away on 7 January 2022. She is deeply missed.

Utah Genealogy Assosiation Fellow Award (FUGA) 2023: Jill N. Crandell

 The Utah Genealogical Association Fellow Award is given in recognition of those living individuals whose distinguished contributions and ongoing commitment to the field of genealogy are of national or international scope. This may be evidenced by any combination of publications, teaching and speaking, or leadership of major genealogical organizations over a significant period of time. We are excited to recognize Jill N. Crandell, AG with the UGA Fellow Award.

Jill is a well-known teacher, speaker, author, and leader. She is a pioneer in creating and leading genealogical organizations. She was one of the three founding commissioners of the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists, or ICAPGen, and she has served as ICAPGen’s president, commissioner, executive secretary, treasurer, and conference committee member. Jill was also a founding director and treasurer of the international organization, the Association of Genealogy Educators and Schools, or AGES.

Jill has been instrumental in her service to the Utah Genealogical Association and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. She served as SLIG director in 2000-2001 and assistant SLIG director in 1999. She has been UGA’s treasurer, executive secretary, recording secretary, and board member.

For nearly twenty years, Jill has been a faculty member of the Brigham Young University History Department. During that time, she has served on scholarship committees and the Student Mentoring and Recruitment Committee, supervised student internships, and served as Director of the Center for Family History and Genealogy at Brigham Young University for the past twelve years.

In addition to teaching at BYU, Jill has taught at the National Genealogical Society Conference, the Federation of Genealogical Societies Conference, the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, SLIG’s Academy for Professionals, family history conferences at BYU and BYU-Idaho, ICAPGen’s annual conference, the LDS Women’s Conference, the UGA annual conference, and RootsTech.

She has written for the National Genealogical Society Quarterly journal, the NGS Magazine, and Genealogy magazine, and she wrote a chapter about the history of accreditation for the book Becoming an Excellent Genealogist: Essays on Professional Research Skills. She has presented papers at symposiums for the Mormon History Association and the Mormon Trail Center and the City of Council Bluffs.

Jill has been a spokesperson for genealogy on news and radio stations, including KBYU, KUTV, KSL TV, KSL Newsradio, and Fox 13. She has also been involved in the management, design, and programming for at least eight different websites. She is the developer and president of ResearchTies, LLC, which is an online genealogy research log.

 Jill's work has influenced countless genealogists, increased credibility for the genealogy profession, and fostered public awareness of the positive impact of genealogy research.

Presidential Citation 2023: Family Tree DNA

 

The Presidential Citation is given in recognition of outstanding contributions by a non-UGA member to UGA’s projects and/or objectives. This year, the Presidential Citation is presented to Family Tree DNA.

Family Tree DNA was founded in the year 2000 and has pioneered the field of genetic genealogy. As leaders in the industry, they provide advanced technology for users to gain further insight into their family history. They were the first direct-to-consumer genetic genealogy company, taking DNA testing for ancestry out of academia and into mainstream culture.

Family Tree DNA continues to establish standards and create new milestones in the rapidly growing field of genetic genealogy. They are the only company to offer all three types of genetic tests – autosomal, mitochondrial, and Y-DNA, and they have over 11,000 group projects run by volunteers who focus on a wide range of genealogical, geographical, and haplogroup areas of research. Family Tree DNA believes in an informed community and in providing genealogists with opportunities to understand DNA testing and how it can benefit them.

The mission of UGA is to provide genealogical information, sources, and education through personal instruction and published media on family history topics, while promoting high standards and ethical practices. As part of furthering its mission, UGA sponsors a special interest group called UGA DNA. Family Tree DNA is a long-time supporter of UGA DNA, the Utah Genealogical Association, and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. We are grateful for all that Family Tree DNA does to support UGA and promote our goal to educate people about ways to use DNA as a tool in genealogical research.

Chapter Service Award 2023: Michael Strauss, AG

 

The Chapter Service Award is given in recognition of outstanding service to or for a UGA Chapter. This year, the Utah Genealogical Association is pleased to present the Chapter Service Award to Michael Strauss, AG, who recently retired as co-chair of UGA’s Virtual Chapter.

The Virtual Chapter meets monthly over Zoom and is open to all UGA members. This unique chapter allows UGA members throughout the state and country to gather and learn. 

Michael Strauss began his service on the UGA Board in 2017 and served as a board member for five years, until 2022. During this entire time, he served within UGA’s Virtual Chapter in some capacity or another. He was assistant committee chair in 2017 and 2018 and a committee chair from 2018 through 2022. Michael organized a virtual chapter meeting every month for its members. Under his leadership, the Virtual Chapter has grown in numbers and become a place where genealogists from all over the country and beyond can network, learn, and grow together.

Michael is an Accredited Genealogist and works as a Research Manager for Ancestry ProGenealogists in Lehi, Utah. He has a bachelor’s degree in history and is a published author, in addition to being a veteran of the United States Coast Guard. He is a court qualified expert witness in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia in matters of forensic investigation. Michael has been a faculty member for several years at SLIG, GRIP, and IGHR where he coordinates the military research courses. 

Award of Merit 2023: Gena Philibert-Ortega

 

For the outstanding service that Gena Philibert-Ortega has given to the Utah Genealogical Association we are please to recognize her with UGA's Award of Merit.

UGA presents the Award of Merit to Gena for her many years serving as the editor of UGA’s Crossroads magazine. She first joined the Crossroads committee in April 2011 and, within a few months, became Crossroads editor for the June issue. Continuing through the Summer 2022 issue, she led as the editor for forty-four issues. Over that time, Crossroads evolved and included themed issues, such as issues focusing on the Civil War, food, and youth, added papers from the annual Colloquium, and began the section “Crossroads for Kids.” Gena’s favorite thing about being an editor was the ability to give new writers the opportunity to be published. Her writers spanned from teenagers to retirees looking to start a new career in genealogy. In addition, she has served on the UGA Board and has taught and coordinated several courses for SLIG. Gena's overall contributions to Crossroads and UGA in general have been immeasurable.

Outside of her service with UGA, Gena is an author, researcher, and instructor focusing on genealogy, social history, and women’s history. She holds two Master’s degrees: in interdisciplinary studies (psychology and women’s study) and in religion. Her published works include two books, numerous articles published in print and online, and six editions of the Tracing Your Ancestors series from Moorshead Publishing. Her writings can be found on her blogs: Gena’s Genealogy and Food.Family.Ephemera, as well as on the GenealogyBank and Legacy Webinars blogs. She has presented to diverse groups worldwide, including through the Legacy Family Tree Webinar series.  Her current research includes women’s repatriation and citizenship in the twentieth century, foodways and community in fundraising cookbooks, and women’s material culture.