How I Got Started
My love of family history started early. At ten years old, I was handed a document about my maternal grandfather’s mother’s family — full of old names and dates stretching back into early American history — and I was hooked. A few years later, another document surfaced tracing the same grandfather’s paternal line, a family with roots in Bavaria who had settled in the Finger Lakes region of New York. Every new detail my elders shared only deepened my curiosity.
It felt like destiny, then, when I landed a part-time job in the Local History & Genealogy department of my public library. Surrounded by thousands of records — in print, on microfilm, and eventually digital — my skills grew alongside my passion. Over the years I’ve helped hundreds of patrons uncover the stories hidden in their family trees, and I’ve never tired of the search.
My Credentials
- Master’s Degree in Library Science
- 25+ years working in libraries, supporting patrons with research, document analysis, and citations
- 25+ years researching my own family, my husband’s family, and helping friends advance their research
- Certificate in Mastering Genealogical Proof
- Certificate in Mastering Genealogical Documentation
My Specialty Areas
- New York State (primarily Central NY counties)
- Northeastern Pennsylvania
- Dual Citizenship — Canada and Italy (eligibility evaluation and document consultation)
- Lineage Societies
My Memberships
- Association of Professional Genealogists (APG)
- APG New England Chapter
- APG Canada Chapter
- APG Writer’s Special Interest Group
- Central New York Genealogical Society, Newsletter Member
- Rochester Genealogical Society
- Virtual Genealogical Society
- National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Standards & Ethics
I hold my work to the highest professional standards. I follow the Genealogical Standards as defined by the Board for the Certification of Genealogists, and I adhere to the Association of Professional Genealogists Code of Ethics.
