NGS Board of Directors

NGS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2006-2008

The Board of Directors consists of the elected officers, the eight directors, and the most recent former president willing to serve.

Article VII of the National Genealogical Society Bylaws details the responsibilities of the Board of Directors.

Janet A. Alpert (Jan) is Vice Chair and a member of the board of Richmond, Virginia-based LandAmerica Financial Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company. A 35-year veteran of the title insurance industry, Alpert became president and chief operating officer of Lawyers Title in 1993, was named president of LandAmerica in 1998, and as named Vice Chair in 2004. She has served as a board member of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Richmond advisory board of SunTrust Bank, the Title Insurance Political Action Committee, the Richmond Chapter of the Association for Corporate Growth, the Virginia Foundation for Women and Trustee of the University of Connecticut Foundation.

Alpert has been President of the Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia (GRIVA) for two terms 2002-2004. She was the News & Notes Editor for GRIVA for 5 years in the 1980's. She has done personal family research for more than 20 years mostly in New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Midwest where her families migrated. In 1997 she published a book Hatevil Nutter of Dover, New Hampshire and His Descendants with Fred Boyle, CG. She is a member of many genealogy associations including NGS, NEHGS, NYGBS, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, the New York History Association, as well as local organizations such as GRIVA, Tazewell Co., Il, Hunterdon Co., NJ, Descendants of Ancient Windsor.

A native of Illinois, Alpert received her B.A. degree from the University of California at Santa Barbara and earned an M.B.A. degree from the University of Connecticut. She has lived the last 26 years in Richmond, VA. She plans to retire at the end of 2004 and reside seasonally in Holland, MI and Hilton Head Island, SC.

Lynda Childers Suffridge, BSE, MSE, is a graduate of the University of Arkansas. She also attended UCA in Conway where she completed six hours post-graduate work. She attended Draughon School of Business and is a Dale Carnegie Course graduate.

Ms. Suffridge has worked at the Arkansas History Commission as library technician/research assistant (retired in 1999), at the Arkansas House of Representatives as Bill clerk and Stamp clerk on front desk in House Chamber, at the Arkansas State University Assistant Professor; at T West Memphis Jr. High as a teacher; and at McClain High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma as a teacher. In addition, Lynda was the Past-president of Heritage Seekers, North Little Rock, Arkansas, Editor of the Perry County Historical & Genealogical Society Newsletter Co-editor of Perry County, Arkansas: Its Land & People, Board member of the Arkansas Genealogical Society, Past-president of the Arkansas Genealogical Society, Life member of Arkansas Genealogical Society and the National Genealogical Society, has served four years on the Board of Directors of the National Genealogical Society, and has served as chair of the NGS Consumer Protection Committee for 4 years.

Secretary: Christina Sachs Humphreys, CG
Arizona

Chris is a professional genealogist who enjoys finding missing heirs and researching German coal miners in Pennsylvania. She has a BA in history, with a concentration in American history, from the University of New Mexico. She earned a paralegal certificate from the Attorney Assistant Training Program, UCLA Extension and was formerly a self-employed paralegal specializing in appellate law. Her paralegal experience includes analyzing and summarizing case proceedings, identifying issues for appeal, performing legal research, and writing briefs. In 2003, she was awarded a BCG Education Fund scholarship to attend the National Institute on Genealogical Research. She is a graduate of the Advanced Methodology course at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research at Samford University. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and the Arizona State Genealogical Society. A native of Delaware, she recently relocated to Arizona after living for 18 years in southern California.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Treasurer: Victor S. Dunn, CG
Virginia

Victor S. “Vic” Dunn, CG, is a professional genealogist and proprietor of Virginia Ancestry. He researches Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland families and specializes in brick-wall solutions, land records, and platting. He is currently serving as vice-president and projects chairperson for the Shenandoah Valley Genealogical Society. Mr. Dunn is a contributor to major genealogical publications including feature articles in National Genealogical Society Quarterly, the Northern Virginia Genealogy, Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, and Virginia Genealogical Society Newsletter.
Dunn received his BS and MS in accounting from Virginia Tech and passed the C.P.A. exam in Virginia in 1990. His accounting career comprises over three years in public accounting and over 13 years in corporate tax positions where he assumed managerial responsibilities in high tech companies in the Northern Virginia area.

Past President: Barbara Vines Little, CG
Virginia

Barbara was the Program Chair for the 1999 NGS Conference in the States, is a past president and current Governor of the Virginia Genealogical Society, and was the treasurer for the Orange County, Virginia, Historical Society. She received her Masters in Education from the University of Virginia. Barbara has been the editor of several genealogical publications including the Magazine of Virginia Genealogy, Der Kurier, and the Virginia Genealogical Society's Newsletter. She lectures frequently at all levels and is the recipient of numerous awards.

A quorum of the Board of Directors consists of seven members.

Director Area 1: Connie Lenzen, CG
Oregon

Connie Lenzen is a full-time professional genealogist. She earned the 1995 NGS Quarterly Award of Excellence and is the author of the Oregon book in the NGS Research in the States series. She was the local arrangements co chair for the 2001 NGS Conference. Her Masters in Education degree and teaching background provides a good foundation for genealogical education. She applies this to her work with the NGS online and CD courses. Outside of NGS, she is the president of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, and she writes a weekly newspaper genealogy column.

Director Area 2: David McDonald, CG
Wisconsin

David McDonald, CG, helped revise the home study course in American Genealogy and is one of its proctors. Board-certified since 2004, he lectures regionally, nationally and internationally on church records, migration patterns, and records of fraternal and community organizations. He teaches genealogy in the school of continuing studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dave edits the Wisconsin State Genealogical Society Newsletter, and has contributed to The National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Nebraska Ancestree, The Illinois State Genealogical Society Newsletter and Hawkeye Heritage.

Director Area 3: Richard Camaur, JD, CG
Virginia

Richard is an attorney, genealogist and lecturer. He is the immediate past president of the Fairfax (Virginia) Genealogical Society and has been a member of its Board of Directors since 1998. His two decades of genealogical activities include Italy, Catholic Church records, California, and pre-World War I Austria. Richard is a member of various genealogical societies and has lectured at national and local genealogical events.

Richard was admitted to the District of Columbia bar in 1976 and the Virginia State Bar in 1977. He maintains a general civil practice of law in Fairfax, Virginia, and he served as Education Chair of the Fairfax (County) Bar Association. He is a frequent lecturer on business organization at the George Mason University Small Business Development Center. Richard received his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, Master of Arts, and Juris Doctor from Georgetown University. He was certified by the by the Board for Certification of Genealogists as a Certified Genealogist in 2000.

Director Area 4: Bob Velke
Maryland

Bob Velke is the president of Wholly Genes, Inc., the makers of popular family history software tools since 1992. He was a member of the Board of Directors of GENTECH, a participant in the Lexicon Working Group, and a co-author of the GENTECH Genealogical Data Model (GDM). He has been involved in the Member Ancestor Chart (MAC) and other NGS projects and currently serves the organization on the GENTECH Advisory Committee (GTAC).

Director At Large: David Moon
Utah

Dave Moon has been a General Partner of EsNet, Ltd., an investment management company focusing on technology investments and real estate, since 1996. His previous work experience includes a broad range of roles in technology, computer science, and corporate management. After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1983 in Computer Science, he worked as a software engineer for WordPerfect Corporation for many years, helping design and develop key features in the company’s desktop applications products. He served as the Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President of Development at WordPerfect prior to its merger with Novell. After leaving Novell, Mr. Moon served for three years as CIO for the State of Utah. As a member of Governor Leavitt’s cabinet and senior advisory staff, he was responsible for overseeing and coordinating all information services and technology initiatives. Currently Mr. Moon serves on a number of private corporate boards, including MyFamily.com, where he serves as Chairman, Senforce Technologies, NxLight, and DriveSafety. He also serves on two non-profit boards—the Utah Information Technology Association, and the Ouelessebougou Utah Alliance, a 20-year old organization focusing on economic development and humanitarian aid in Mali, in west Africa.
Mr. Moon is married, has seven children, and lives in Alpine, Utah. Besides his family, his passions include music, skiing, family history, and collecting chess sets.

Director At Large: Julie Miller, CG
Colorado

Julie is a full time genealogy researcher, lecturer, and columnist. She is president of the Colorado Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists, a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists Board of Directors and immediate past president of the Colorado Genealogical Society. She is a director for the International Society of Family History Writers and Editors and a member of the FGS/NGS Records Preservation and Access Committee. She has attended the National Institute on Genealogical Research and Samford University's Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research.

Mr. Broadbent received his undergraduate degree from Duke University (B.A. History), and his law degree from the University of Virginia; he was admitted to the Virginia Bar in 1976. He is a partner at a 45-lawyer Richmond, Virginia, firm, Christian & Barton, where his areas of practice are general business law, communications law and intellectual property law. Currently he serves as Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Business Law Section of the Virginia State Bar, and is a member of its Intellectual Property Law Section. Virgina Business Magazine includes him in its annual Legal Elite list as one of the leading business and intellectual property lawyers in Virginia.

Along with over 25 years experience as a practicing attorney, Mr. Broadbent brings many years of genealogical and public service experience to the board. He is President and Director of the Virginia Genealogical Society and the immediate past Chairman of the Library of Virginia Board which oversees the Commonwealth of Virginia's archives and state library in Richmond. He was appointed to the Library Board by Governor Allen in 1996 and re-appointed by Governor Gilmore in 2002. Mr. Broadbent is Director and former President of GRIVA, the Genealogical Research Institute of Virginia. He has been a member of the National Genealogical Society since 1988, and is a present or a former member of various genealogical societies in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina. His lineage society memberships include Mayflower Society, Society of Colonial Wars, Sons of the American Revolution, Sons of the Revolution and Society of the War of 1812. The last 24 years he has engaged in research on his and his wife's ancestry, primarily in the mid-Atlantic and upper South, and has personally done research in repositories ranging from London to Missouri.

Director At Large: Arlene V. Jennings
New York

Arlene V. Jennings, MA, CG, is a Kansas native now residing in Brooklyn, New York. Arlene began her career teaching French at the universities of Washington and Michigan when she was a graduate student. She was a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, a National Science Foundation Fellow, and a Fulbright Fellow at the University of Bucharest. From 1966 until 1972 she taught applied linguistics in Ecuador and in Bucharest, Romania, where she was Director of Courses at the American Library. In the 1970s she worked for Pan Am in the USSR and New York City. In the mid-1980s, she joined the Inter-Continental Hotels Corporation where she became Director of Training. In 1990, she founded Global Training Solutions. As an independent consultant specializing in cross cultural effectiveness, Arlene trained managers for the opening of luxury hotels in Moscow, New York City, and Bora Bora, and worked with a wide range of organizations as an adjunct faculty member for the Center for Creative Leadership. She retired in 1998 to focus on genealogy.
Arlene is a graduate of the National Institute on Genealogical Research, the Advanced Methodology course at Samford University's Institute of Genealogy & Historical Research, and the National Genealogical Society course, American Genealogy. She formerly chaired the Publications Advisory Committee of the Association of Professional Genealogists, served on the Education and Publications committees of the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society, was webmaster and created the award winning quarterly publication, Archival Anecdotes, for the Friends of the National Archives in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Her primary research activity is the study of migrations from the Northeast to the Midwest.