Experience

I am a professional genealogist specializing in computerized and celebrity genealogy. I have been involved in online genealogy for fifteen years. I was the Data Manager of the Genealogy RoundTable on Genie^® for seven years. I was the forum manager for the Genealogy Forum on MSN^® for a year and a half.  My recent endeavors have involved the researching of the famous and infamous. I was a contributing editor to Biography Magazine with my "Celebrity Roots" column and was a contributing writer to The History Channel Magazine with my "Heritage" column. Both deal with the unique ancestral or familial relationships of the famous and celebrated.  I have also compiled approximately 120 celebrity trees of those in entertainment, sports, literature, and politics. Some of them are available on Genealogy.com.

I have authored articles in Ancestry Magazine, Genealogical Computing, Everton's Genealogical Helper, and Family Tree Magazine. I am the author of the award-winning The Complete Idiot's Guide to Online Genealogy, now in its second edition and The Official Family Tree Maker fast & easy series for versions 7 through 10 of the program.  I authored The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker Version 11. My latest book is Digitizing Your Family History, published by Family Tree Books, formerly Betterway Books. This is my third book for them. The first two were The Genealogist’s Computer Companion and Finding Your Famous and Infamous Ancestors. 

I am presently the editor for the Utah Genealogical Association's quarterly publication Crossroads.

As a lecturer I have spoken at national conferences, including NGS, FGS, BYU, and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy and have upcoming speaking engagements across the country.