Kelvin Meyers
A fifth generation Texan and professional forensic genealogist since 1996, Kelvin is a frequent speaker to genealogical societies and family associations throughout the United States. He specializes in southern brick wall problems for clients. Kelvin is a 1989 and 1990 alumnus of the Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research at Samford University and has returned to IGHR as lecturer in the Southern Course and the Professional Course. In 2016 he co-coordinated with J. Mark Lowe, “A Swing Through the South” at SLIG (Salt Lake Institute of Genealogical Research). In 2019 Kelvin coordinated the “Burned Counties and More: Overcoming Record Loss” course for SLIG.
He is a past board member of the Association of Professional Genealogist, a past President of the Lone Star Chapter of APG, and a founding member for the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG). The Dallas Genealogical Society awarded Kelvin the Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck Distinguished Service Award in December of 2018. In 2016 Kelvin published Research in Texas for NGS (National Genealogical Society) Research in the States series. Kelvin is also the director of the Texas Institute of Genealogical Research (TIGR) sponsored by the Texas State Genealogical Society.

D. Joshua Taylor
D. Joshua Taylor, MA, MLS is a nationally known and recognized speaker and author on genealogy and family history. Passionate about the diverse and dynamic field of genealogy, Joshua is the President of the New York’s oldest and largest genealogical organization, the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society (NYG&B). He also served the genealogical community as the President of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) from 2013-2016 and has been a member of the FGS Board of Directors since 2007. Joshua is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including RootsTech’s Distinguished Presenter Award, the Federation of Genealogical Societies Award of Merit, and the Rubincam Youth Award from the National Genealogical Society. In 2017, Joshua was named as one of Library Journal’s Movers and Shakers.
He holds an MLS (Archival Management) and an MA (History) from Simmons College and has been a featured genealogist on Who Do You Think You Are? and was seen guiding America through their past as a host on the popular PBS series Genealogy Roadshow.

Diane L. Richard
Principal, Mosaic Research and Project Management (MosaicRPM), has been doing genealogy research since 1987 and since 2004 professionally focused on the records of North Carolina and Southern States. She regularly contributes to Internet Genealogy and Your Genealogy Today. She recently published, Tracing Your Ancestors — African American Research: A Practical Guide, via Moorshead Publications. She is currently editor of the North Carolina Genealogical Society (NCGS) Journal. As a speaker she has delivered webinars and in-person talks about the availability and richness of records documenting Southerners, genealogical research techniques and tips, under-utilized resource collections, and much more. She is co-leader of Tar Heel Discoveries, which offers guided North Carolina genealogical research programs providing participants targeted, focused, research assistance leading to new family discoveries.

Patti Lee Hobbs, CG®
Patti Lee Hobbs, CG® lives in southwest Missouri and works as a professional genealogist. She volunteers as a trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, as a BCG Education Fund trustee, as the Education Committee chair for the Ozarks Genealogical Society, and serves on the editorial board for the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. Patti has taught in several institute courses and is the course coordinator for “Genetics for Genealogists: Beginning DNA” at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research. Her article “DNA Identifies a Father for Rachel Lee of Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania” was published in the March 2017 issue of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly, and she is a contributing author of Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies.

Renate Yarborough Sanders
Renate Yarborough Sanders, genealogist, is the descendant of formerly enslaved ancestors, enslavers, and free people of color. Renate authors two blogs: “Into the LIGHT”, focused on her own family history; and, “Genea-Related”, which is a platform for presenting a variety of information of genealogical interest; and she produces a “(Mostly) African-American Funeral Programs” online database. Renate is a member of the North Carolina Genealogical Society, the Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society (AAHGS), the Heritage Society of Franklin County, NC, and the Tyrrell County (NC) Genealogical and Historical Society. She is a regular panelist on BlackProGen LIVE, an online live genealogy program. She has published articles in genealogical newsletters, as well as in the Franklin County (NC) Heritage Book (Vol. 1), and she volunteers in the historical and genealogical community as an indexer and arbitrator. Renate is the Newsletter Editor for the Hampton Roads Chapter of AAHGS and a member of the AAHGS National Editorial Board. She retired in July 2017 from a 32-year career as elementary educator. Renate enjoys presenting genealogy lectures on a variety of topics but specializes in sharing knowledge and techniques for researching ancestors of color – both pre- and post- Emancipation: free people of color, or enslaved.

Nancy E. Loe
Nancy Loe, MA, MLS, is a professional archivist, genealogist, and librarian. In addition to helping family historians and directing archival digitization projects, Nancy founded the Pikes Peak Genealogical Society. She will deliver the keynote in October to celebrate their 40th anniversary. After her long career in libraries and archives, Nancy now lectures on her specializations: organizing family records and research, and finding U.S. and European records. Her website, www.sassyjanegenealogy.com – featured in Family Tree Magazine – offers advice on preserving and organizing family papers, as well as discovering lesser-known genealogy resources. Nancy has appeared on PBS’s American Experience, at NGS, RootsTech, and numerous genealogy conferences and webinars in the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Nancy has completed three Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy classes: Nordic research, German script and Fraktur, and immigration records. She has visited her great-grandparents’ villages in Scotland, Norway, Austria, and Prussia (Poland). This summer, she embarks on her eighth and final visit to her paternal great-grandmother’s village in Sweden.