BCG Recognizes Outgoing Trustees

Board for Certification of Genealogists
Press Release: 9 November 2007
For additional information, contact:
Connie Lenzen, CG @ clenzen@dialoregon.net

BCG Recognizes Outgoing Trustees

Connie Lenzen, CG, President of the Board for Certification of Genealogists, announced the retirement of three long-term trustees, effective October 15, 2007.

Thomas W. Jones, CG, CGL, FASG, of Virginia, retired after ten years on the board. He was appointed second vice-president in 1997, served as BCG President from October 1999 to October 2002, and has held various leadership roles during his time as a trustee. Tom played a significant role in BCG's codification of standards, working with BCG President Helen Leary to create the Standards Manual. He will continue to serve BCG as Judge Coordinator, working to bring BCG's judging process into line with current national standards for certifying bodies and addressing the problem of inconsistencies in judges' evaluations. Tom is a newly-elected Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists.

Joy Reisinger, CG, of Wisconsin, retired after twelve years on the board. She was vice-president from 1996 until 2005, during which time she sought out policy decisions in whatever form they could be found and incorporated them into a formally adopted Policy Manual. She has also served as a mentor to a number of successful applicants for certification.

Beth A. Stahr, CG, of Louisiana, retired after nine years on the board. Beth served as BCG Treasurer and as BCG President from October 2004 to October 2005 during the consideration of the credential consolidation. She implemented establishment of BCG's Outreach Committee and served as a trustee for the BCG Education Fund.

President Lenzen also announced the resignation of trustee Amy Larner Giroux, CG, CGL, of Florida. Amy was a member of the board for three years. As BCG webmaster she was responsible for improving the content of the BCG website, implementing the recent redesign of the site, and creating the BCG-L list serve. Amy will continue to serve as BCG webmaster and as a member of the Outreach Committee.

According to President Lenzen, "All four of our out-going trustees have been committed to promoting excellence in genealogical practice, and to ensuring that BCG itself grew and responded to changes in the genealogical world. The Board for Certification of Genealogists wouldn't be the nationally recognized and respected organization it is today if it were not for the individual contributions of each of these able trustees."

The fifteen current members of the BCG Board of Trustees are:
Connie Lenzen, CG, of Oregon, President
Barbara Mathews, CG, of Massachusetts, Vice-president
Beverly Rice, CG, of Oregon, Secretary
Brian W. Hutchison, CG, of British Columbia, Treasurer
Laura DeGrazia, CG, of New York, Executive Committee Member at Large
CindyLee B. Banks, CG, AG, of Utah
Claire Mire Bettag, CG, CGL, of Washington, DC
Ann Carter Fleming, CG, CGL, of Missouri
Jim W. Faulkinbury, CG, of California
Elizabeth Shown Mills, CG, CGL, FASG, of Tennessee
Elissa Scalise Powell, CG, of Pennsylvania
Christine Rose, CG, CGL, FASG, of California
Dawne Slater-Putt, CG, of Indiana
Helen S. Ullmann, CG, FASG, of Massachusetts
Shirley Langdon Wilcox, CG, of Virginia

Since its founding in 1964, the Board for Certification of Genealogists has promoted - in research, lectures, and publications - attainable, uniform standards of competence and ethics that have become generally accepted throughout the field. Its publication The BCG Genealogical Standards Manual sets forth the currently accepted standards for all areas of genealogical research.