APG Names Kimberly T. Powell President

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo., 27 November 2013−Today the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) announced election results for its 2014-2015 executive committee, as well as for nine board members, and two nominating committee members. Kimberly T. Powell of Oakdale, Penn. was elected president. Powell has been the genealogy expert for About.com since 2000 and is the author of several genealogy books. She is the chair of APG's Professional Development Committee and currently serves as APG vice president. She will succeed Kenyatta D. Berry of Santa Monica, Calif.

"I am honored by this opportunity to continue to serve APG, and excited to work with such a talented and enthusiastic group of board members," said Powell. "APG has played a pivotal role in advancing the genealogical profession, and I commit to honoring those who have paved the way by continuing to increase public awareness of and trust in professional genealogists, to support our members at all stages of their genealogical careers, and to increase openness, networking, and collaboration within our organization."

Catherine Desmarais, CG, of Vermont was elected APG vice president. She is a professional genealogist and works on U.S. Army military repatriation cases. She serves on the board of the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy and is an APG Quarterly Advisory Committee member.

Janice S. Prater of Denver, Colo. will serve another term as secretary. Prater is the editor of the International Society of British Genealogy and Family History's quarterly publication and is treasurer for the Colorado Chapter of APG. Joan Peake of West Virginia was elected for a second term as APG treasurer. She is also president of the Fayette County Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania and member of the Great Lakes Chapter of APG.

APG members elected the following board members for two-year terms:

Region 1 West: Jean Wilcox Hibben, Ph.D., M.A., CG, is a past president of the Southern California Chapter of APG, 1st vice president of the Corona Genealogical Society, and vice president of the Genealogical Speakers Guild. She was the lead researcher for the first season of Genealogy Roadshow. 

Region 2 Midwest: Valerie Eichler Lair of Minnesota has been a member of APG since 1991. She is the president of APG Heartland Chapter and a member of the APG Northland Chapter.

Region 3 Southeast: Tina Sansone of Tennessee is vice president of the Second Life APG Chapter and is a director for the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors.

Region 4 Northeast: Darcie M. Hind Posz of the District of Columbia serves as president of the National Capital Area Chapter of APG. She is a professional genealogist and writer.

Region 5 Canada: Louise St. Denis has been managing director of The National Institute for Genealogical Studies for the past 16 years. She was the founding president of Toronto's Societe Franco-Ontarienne d'Histoire et de Genealogie and a founding member of Ontario's APG chapter.

Region 6 Ireland, N. Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales: Fiona Fitzsimons is a genealogist and a director for Eneclann and Findmypast Ireland. She has provided research for First Lady Michelle Obama and for televisions shows Who Do You Think You Are? and PBS's Faces of America and Finding Our Roots.

Region 7 International: Michael Goldstein of Israel has been elected for another term. Michael traces roots worldwide, specializing in forensic, Jewish, and Holocaust research.

APG members elected two at-large board members. Amy E. K. Arner of Pennsylvania is a professional genealogist and proofreader of the APG Quarterly. J. H. Fonkert, CG, of Minnesota is a professional genealogist and lecturer and has served on the APG board since 2010.

Elected to one-year terms on the nominations committee are: Debra Braverman, a New York City-based professional genealogist, and Laura G. Prescott, a past president of APG and a full-time professional genealogist based in New Hampshire.

About the Association of Professional Genealogists

The Association of Professional Genealogists (www.apgen.org), established in 1979, represents more than 2,700 genealogists, librarians, writers, editors, historians, instructors, booksellers, publishers, and others involved in genealogy-related businesses. APG encourages genealogical excellence, ethical practice, mentoring, and education. The organization also supports the preservation and accessibility of records useful to the fields of genealogy and history. Its members represent all fifty states, Canada, and thirty other countries. APG is active on LinkedIn, Twitter (www.twitter.com/apggenealogy) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/AssociationofProfessionalGenealogists).