2022 Conference Speakers

Keynote Speaker

Benjamin L. Carp

Benjamin L. Carp is Daniel M. Lyons Professor of American History at Brooklyn College and faculty at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His forthcoming book, The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution, will be published by Yale University Press in 2023. He also wrote Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party and the Making of America (Yale, 2010), which won the Cox Book Prize from the Society of the Cincinnati in 2013, and Rebels Rising: Cities and the American Revolution (Oxford, 2007).

He has written about nationalism, firefighters, wet nurses, Benjamin Franklin, and Quaker merchants in Charleston, for scholarly journals like Early American Studies, Civil War History, New York History, the William and Mary Quarterly, and popular publications such as BBC History, Colonial Williamsburg, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. He received his B.A. from Yale University and his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia, and he previously taught at the University of Edinburgh and Tufts University. 

Sessions

Lost Stories: How the New York City Fire of 1776 Illuminates Unfamiliar Lives of the American Revolution

Session Speakers

Scott Andrew Bartley

Scott Andrew Bartley (“Drew”) is a genealogist, archivist, librarian, and editor specializing in Vermont, Mayflower lineages, and colonial New England. Drew is currently the genealogist for the Early Vermont Settlers to 1784 Study Project. 

Sessions

Sharing Your Genealogy: Writing It Up Right 

Americans North of the Border: Migration and the Records to Find Them 

James M. Beidler

James M. Beidler is the Interim Executive Director for the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania. He is the author of four published books and a weekly “Roots & Branches” and bimonthly German Life magazine columnist.  

Sessions

Lumberjacks, Canal Workers: Rural Occupations in New York and Pennsylvania

Blaine T. Bettinger, PhD, JD

Blaine Bettinger, PhD, JD, is a professional genealogist specializing in DNA evidence.

Sessions

Advanced Chromosome Mapping Using DNA Painter

Understanding TIMBER and ThruLines at AncestryDNA

John Boeren, LLM, PLCGS

John Boeren is one of few genealogy professionals in the Netherlands. His business, called Antecedentia, offers genealogical research, transcriptions and translations of documents, and heritage trips.

Sessions

Dutch Reformed Church Records

Dutch Passenger Lists and Other Emigration Records

Records on 17th century Dutch ancestors

Hallie J. Borstel

Hallie J. Borstel is a NEHGS genealogist with a background in history, historic preservation, and German language. Research interests include Northern Europe, 19th-century U.S., and westward migration.

Sessions

Using U.S. Church Records to Identify German Origins

Jamie Brinkman

Jamie Brinkman works as an Archivist in Researcher Services at the New York State Archives.

Sessions

Land of the Blacks: Tracing America’s First “Free” Black Community at NYSA

Jasmine Bumpers

Jasmine Bumpers works as an Archivist and with Access Services at the New York State Archives.

Sessions

Land of the Blacks: Tracing America’s First “Free” Black Community at NYSA

Cherie Bush

Cherie Bush works in FamilySearch’s office of the Chief Genealogical Office and is the FamilySearch Affiliate Library manager.

Sessions

Free Websites for Family History Researchers

Michael Cassara

Michael Cassara is a professional genealogist based in NYC. He has presented nationwide including RootsTech, APG PMC, OGS + many more. President, Italian Genealogical Group, Inc. Visit DigiRoots.net

Sessions

Surname Studies: Follow That Surname

New York in Postcards: Bringing Deltiology to your Genealogy!

Denise Cross, CG

Denise Cross, CG, is a community college librarian who enjoys research, especially digging deep for an elusive answer. Her focus is writing, and she has published many articles since 2016.

Sessions

Finding Samuel Fletcher - Searching Records in New York, Vermont, and Beyond

Jennifer Davis

Jen began volunteering at the Virginia Historical Society, which turned into a 25-year career in development and education. Her love of history and helping others is integral to the NYG&B.

Sessions

Maximizing your membership and volunteer opportunities

Lara Diamond

Lara has researched back generations with Russian & Austria-Hungarian records. She is president of Jewish Genealogy Society of MD and is JewishGen's Subcarpathian Director. She blogs at laradiamond.com.

Sessions

Ukrainian Genealogy Research

Finding Family in Eastern Europe; Getting Creative When Records Are Scarce

Kalyn Diehl

Kalyn is the NYG&B's Digital Collections Manager and a graduate student in the Department of History at Fordham University. She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and as the Historian for the New York Caledonian Club.

Sessions

NYG&B Digitized Collections: Materials Available Online for You

Skip Duett

Skip Duett is a professional genealogist specializing in Upstate New York research and Y-DNA analysis. He is actively researching post-Rev. War land companies along with grants and patents in New York.

Sessions

Putting Your Upstate New York Ancestor on the Map

Hidden Gem - Holland Land Company in Central New York

Land Companies: Post-Revolutionary War Land Development in New York

Elizabeth Williams Gomoll, CG®

Elizabeth Williams Gomoll, CG, is co-editor of the Minnesota Genealogist, immediate past president of APG Northland Chapter. Liz has received awards for her 3 books and society activities.

Sessions

Fire, Water, and the 1890 U.S. Census: Researching Beyond the Ashes and Mold

Unlocking Notation Codes on Alien Passenger Lists

Monica Gray

Monica Gray works as the Supervisory Archivist with Researcher Services at the New York State Archives. She has worked at NYSA for 15 years where she enjoys learning about state government and history, and the lives of New Yorkers.

Sessions

Divorce and Guardianship in 19th century New York—Chancery Court case studies

Eric G. Grundset, MLS

Eric Grundset was Library Director, DAR Library, Washington, DC for 33 years. He authored New York in the American Revolution (2012) and gained a strong interest in New York records.

Sessions

DAR Records: Don't Research New York without Them!

Rhonda Hoffman, MLS

Rhonda Hoffman is the Genealogy Specialist for the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library and the Content Editor of the Western New York Genealogical Society’s JOURNAL.

Sessions

Government Secrets Revealed: County Supervisors’ Proceedings

Kyle Hurst

As Senior Genealogist of the Newbury Street Press, Kyle Hurst has authored scholarly articles, blog posts, and genealogies including a NGS award-winner for Excellence in Genealogy & Family History.

Sessions

Adding Story to Family History

Migration: New England to and Through New York

Anna King

Anna combines her experience in nonprofit volunteer program management and her small business administration experience in her role as office administrator at the NYG&B.

Sessions

Maximizing your membership and volunteer opportunities

Terry Koch-Bostic

Terry Koch-Bostic is a genealogist; lecturer; NGS Education Committee Chair; APG-NY manager; former V.P. of NGS; and contributing author/reviewer for the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer.

Sessions

Surname Mapping: A New Approach to Finding Your Ancestors’ Place of Origin

Irish Research Update: Best Sources and Methods to Unlock Your Family’s Records

Brad Kolodny

Brad Kolodny is the author of Seeking Sanctuary: 125 Years of Synagogues on Long Island and The Jews of Long Island 1705–1918. He is president of the Jewish Historical Society of Long Island.

Sessions

The Jews of Long Island 1705-1918

Janice Lovelace, PhD

Janice Lovelace, PhD, is a genealogical researcher, lecturer, and author of the National Genealogical Society’s online continuing education course African American Roots: A Historical Perspective.

Sessions

18th Century Slavery and Gradual Emancipation in 19th Century New York

Is Great-Grandmother Really Native American? Native American Genealogy Research

Annette Burke Lyttle

Annette Burke Lyttle speaks on a variety of genealogical topics at the national, state, and local levels and loves helping people uncover and share their family stories.

Sessions

Finding and Using Digitized Manuscripts for Genealogical Research

The Erie Canal and the Opening of the West

New York Quakers: Their History and the Records They Left

Susan R. Miller

Susan R. Miller is the NYG&B’s Director of Programs and Publications; editor of the New York Researcher magazine; a managing editor of the New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer.

Sessions

Tips for Searching and Using Ancestry’s NY Religious Records

Making the Most of Your Onsite Research In New York

Bryna O'Sullivan, PLCGS

Bryna O'Sullivan is a Middletown, CT based professional genealogist and French to English genealogical translator.

Sessions

Connecticut Research: The Basics

Robert Raymond

Robert is a FamilySearch deputy CGO. He is a popular speaker and writer. Robert is a genealogical technologist with over 40 years of experience in technology and genealogy.

Sessions

Exploring New York the New Way at FamilySearch

Return to New York Church Records at FamilySearch Website, Library, and Centers

A Mosaic of New York Books on FamilySearch

Judy G. Russell, JD, CG®, CGLSM

The Legal Genealogist Judy G. Russell is a genealogist with a law degree who provides expert guidance through the murky territory where law and family history intersect.

Sessions

When Worlds Collide: Resolving Conflicts in Genealogical Records

From pirates to sunken ships: New York's federal court records

Jeanette Sheliga

Jeanette Sheliga lives in Lockport, NY. She is the President of the Virtual Genealogical Association (VGA), a ProGen Study Group 49 graduate, and has attended many genealogy institutes.

Sessions

New York State Censuses: You Won’t Believe What’s Hiding In There!

Navigating FultonHistory.com

D. Joshua Taylor

D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS, FUGA, NYG&B’s President, is a nationally known and recognized genealogical author, lecturer, and researcher. Passionate about family history, Joshua hosted the PBS series, Genealogy Roadshow.

Sessions

Finding Births, Marriages, and Deaths in New York, 1780 to 1850

Penny Walters, PhD

Penny Walters lectures internationally on a wide range of genealogy topics. Penny has authored the books: Ethical Dilemmas in Genealogy (2019) and The Psychology of Searching (2020).

Sessions

Searching for Irish Ancestors

Searching for ancestors when you're adopted

Jane E. Wilcox

Jane E. Wilcox serves on the NY State Archives Advisory Committee and the NYG&B’s Family History Advisory Committee. Jane specializes in colonial and early federal New York research.

Sessions

Colonial British and Loyalist Records at the New York State Archives

You Be the Judge: Was Nicholas Storm Alive during the Revolutionary War?