Speakers – 8th We Are Cousins Virtual Genealogy Conference

Sara is a full-time professional genealogist. Thirty years of research has taken her across the USA and into Ireland. She especially enjoys breaking down brick walls and discovering the stories of black sheep ancestors. Sara holds a Boston University Genealogical Research Certificate and is an alum of ProGen. - Read More

Eleanor Brinsko specializes in Scandinavian-American and Midwest-American genealogy. She gives presentations for organizations across the country. Eleanor has contributed to Henry Louis Gates' "Finding Your Roots" and taught a graduate-level class on genealogy for University of Wisconsin-Madison. - Read More

Richard Hill was the first adoptee to identify his birth family through genetic genealogy DNA testing. He shared his story in an award-winning book, "Finding Family: My Search for Roots and the Secrets in My DNA." He has founded two websites on the subject of DNA testing, most recently DNAFavorites.com. Read More

Ryan Jordan is an academic historian and accredited genealogist, currently teaching at National University in La Jolla, CA. His research and teaching interests have included 18th and 19th century US history, as well as the history of California. He holds a Ph.D in History from Princeton University (2004). Read More

Erica Peña-Vest is an avid genealogist. She is also a podcaster and recently launched “Somos Tejanos”, a podcast devoted to the stories of Tejano genealogy. Erica was recently honored by Governor Abbott with the designation “Yellow Rose of Texas” – highest honor given to women in Texas for community service. Read More

Moises Garza is the founder of We Are Cousins and Las Villas del Norte Genealogy Group. He is also the author of over 40 publications and the popular book series Last Names of Nuevo Leon. He is also the creator of the Mexican Genealogy blog and the many Facebook groups that form part of the Mexican Genealogy Network. Read More

John P. Schmal is an historian, genealogist, and lecturer. He manages the IndigenousMexico.org website, which includes articles and presentations about the Indigenous people of Mexico, Texas, and California. This website has had more than 42,000 page views in the last 30 days. Read More

Retired SoCal college professor (MA – Speech, PhD – Folklore), national speaker/author, with 45+ years of experience, Jean researched for 2 genealogy TV programs. Currently, she is 1st VP and webmaster for Corona Genealogical Society; consultant for Corona, California FamilySearch Center; and writer for Jefferson County NY Genealogical Society’s INFORMER. Read More

Wesley Johnston holds Master's degrees in Mathematics and History. Since his family is like the United Nations he has researched in many different countries and languages. His 28 books are on family history, art history and World War II history. Read More

Dee is an experienced genealogist with a 30-year career and a knack for finding ancestors. She has two BAs (in History and Sustainability) and is working on her History MA at IU. With experience in genetic genealogy, historical writing, and biographies, Dee has helped hundreds trace their family trees. Read More

Allyson is a genealogy speaker, writer, and consultant. She speaks at national and state conferences including RootsTech. She wrote articles for The Crossroads Magazine. She holds an AG in the Southwest Region and a BS from Idaho State. Her website is rememberingrelatives.weebly.com. She lives in Salt Lake City. Read More

Michelle L. Spencer, owner of RomaMaryGrace, specializes in family business research, material culture, pandemics, and historic preservation. Michelle has more than thirty years of speaking, research, and writing experience. She loves traveling, researching, and collecting old things. Website: RomaMaryGrace.com. YouTube: @romamarygrace1909. Read more

Esther Camacho is a professional genealogist and researcher. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, Texas State Genealogical Society, Hidalgo County Historical Commission, and Las Villas del Norte Genealogy Group. She has presented on a variety of topics from beginners’ genealogy, Hispanic research, to local haunted history. - Read More

Lianne loves to share her knowledge of technology and genealogy to help others find their family history with #NoTears. She does this through writing and speaking at conferences in Canada, England, and U.S.A including RootsTech. She is a CFO of mitoYDNA.org and President of Alberta Genealogical Society. An APG member. - Read More