Speakers and Presenters

  • Diana Elder AG
    Diana Elder AG®
    Diana Elder AG® is a professional genealogist, author, and speaker. She is accredited in the Gulf South region of the United States through the International Commission for the Accreditation of Professional Genealogists (ICAPGen). Diana graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Elementary Education and has turned her passion for teaching to educating teens and adults in proven genealogy techniques. Diana is the author of the Research Like a Pro: A Genealogists Guide and creator of the “Research Like a Pro” study group. She writes regular articles for FamilyLocket.com, the genealogy website created by her daughter, Nicole Dyer. She presents regularly at genealogy conferences, sharing the methods she uses every day to solve challenging genealogical problems.
  • Holly Hansen
    Holly T. Hansen
    President and Founder of Family History Expos, Inc.: A lifelong resident of Croydon, Utah, Holly is a family history educator with more than 20 years experience. Although she sponsors elaborate events, she also enjoys helping people one-on-one as they learn how to make technology work for them. Author, lecturer, editor, and publisher, Holly devotes time every day to education.
  • Mike Wynder
    Mike Wynder
    Michael Wynder is the Archivist for the Office of Vital Records and Statistics located at the Utah Department of Health. Michael graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelors degree in Health Promotion and Education in 2009. This has led him to work in a variety of capacities at the Huntsman Cancer Institute and Intermountain Healthcare. Most notably, he worked as a Senior Preservationist at the LDS Church History Library for almost 8 years. His experience includes micrographic camera operation, micrographic film development in a darkroom setting, archival and cataloging processes, and digital records preservation. Current duties include facilitating vital records transfers to State Archives, auditing and maintaining physical storage and handling of documents, coordinating retention schedules, and is a certified Records Officer for Vital Records.
  • Beth Taylor
    Beth Taylor
    Beth Taylor, CG℠, works as a US/Canada Research Specialist at the Family History Library. She is a Board-certified genealogist (CG), holds a BA of History from Brigham Young University (2005), and has worked for FamilySearch for thirteen years. Her specialties and interests include DNA, Quakers, organizing, land records, probate records, and more. For more information see www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/User:TaylorBE
  • Rosemary Cundiff
    Rosemary Cundiff
    Rosemary is the government records ombudsman at the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service. In this role she is required to be familiar with the Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA) so that she can assist government employees as well as the general public with issues related to records requests. Rosemary has worked for the Utah State Archives for eighteen years and has been the ombudsman for six years. Rosemary began her work at Utah State Archives as a processing archivist, and in that role, processed many local government records. Later, Rosemary became the local government records analyst. As the local government records analyst, Rosemary and Jim Kichas completed an inventory of the historical court records in the state. This inventory resulted in the current court records research guide and finding aid. Rosemary has a master's degree in history from the University of Delaware.
  • Alan Barnett
    Alan Barnett
    Alan holds a degree in history from Brigham Young University and a degree in historic preservation from the University of Utah. He has worked at the Utah State Historical Society and has been with the State Archives for 15 years. He currently serves as the Archives Research Center Manager and the Local Government Archivist.
  • Gina Strack
    Gina Strack
    Gina Strack has been at the Utah State Archives and Records Service since 2002. She is the Digital Archives Program Manager, as well as processing historical records and administering the website and blog. She is a Certified Archivist, holds a certificate as a Digital Archives Specialist, and an MLIS from the University of Washington. Gina has led vital records processing and digitization since about 2009, ranging from acquisition and archival arrangement, to overseeing indexing of birth and death certificates.
  • Sarah Singh
    Sarah Singh
    Sarah Singh is the Head of Special Collections at Weber State University where she has worked since 1999. She has a MA in Russian History from Utah State University and a MLIS with a focus on archives from San Jose State University. She is the co-author of four books on the history of Ogden. Sarah’s research interests include the history of Ogden, 25th Street, women, crime and oral history.
  • Salt Lake County Records Management & Archives
    Karri Krattley
    Karri Krattley has a Master’s degree in Information Resources and Library Science from the University of Arizona. She is the Archives Manager for the Salt Lake County Archives in West Valley City, Utah. Salt Lake County Archives manages the permanent, public records created by Salt Lake County government from 1847 - present. Birth, death, marriage, early divorce, property records (including house photographs), maps, and official meeting minutes are just some of the records that can be found at the archives.
  • Cherie Willis
    Cherie N. Willis
    While working at one of the reference desks in the Nonfiction/AudioVisual department of the Salt Lake City Public Library, I am often asked what I do, or what my title is, or did I have to go to school to do what I do. Even though these questions are frequently posed, they still surprise me and I usually blurt out, “I’m a librarian and yes, I had to have a Masters in Library and Information Science to do this.” In our modern age, this answer may not fully address the question. As a librarian at the City Library, my jobs included intensive researcher, reader’s advisor, exhibit and display designer, performing arts coordinator, Special Collections watchdog, history promoter, staff trainer, tour guide, and more than ever, social worker. I have worked at the City Library for 22 years, although for 16 of those years I only worked part-time to have time to raise my sons. During that time I also had the honor of serving as the citizen representative on the State Records Committee. Prior to motherhood, for six years I worked at the Utah State Archives, where my passion was balancing the competing concepts of privacy and access. This focus lead to working with the amazing team that created the Government Records Access and Management Act.
  • Lara Bangerter
    Lara M. Bangerter
    Lara M. Bangerter is the director of The Lehi Historical Society and Archives in Lehi. Bangerter’s background in journalism has served her well as she works to organize, research, document, preserve and record Lehi’s history. A graduate of Brigham Young University with a bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis in journalism, she completed internships at the Library of Congress, where she worked on the library’s in-house publication, and at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ New Era Magazine. Copy editor at the Standard-Examiner in Ogden was Bangerter’s first job out of college. She then moved to The Daily Herald in Provo to be the news editor. Before quitting work to raise her children, she also worked briefly as a technical writer. Most recently, Bangerter wrote the biographies of the presidents of the General Relief Society of the LDS Church that appear on LDS.org. She also has several historical articles run in The Lehi Free Press each month.

    Bangerter’s community service began in 2004 when she joined her children’s PTA at Sego Lily Elementary. Since then she has served in a variety of capacities at the elementary, junior high and high school level, including PTSA secretary, PTA president, Community Council member and school district liaison. Bangerter feels her greatest PTA accomplishment was turning Sego Lily’s annual carnival into a parent-run, fundraising carnival and auction, which over the years has brought in thousands of additional dollars to the school’s classrooms. Currently, she is president of the Lehi East Stake Young Women.

    Raised in Grand Junction, Colo., Bangerter is married to Alpine native Shane Bangerter, and together they have four daughters, ranging in age from 22 to 14. Their favorite things to do together include traveling, playing on the beach, being with extended family and camping in the Uintah mountains. Bangerter enjoys reading, writing, traveling, church work and organizing.
  • Alyson Brown (Courthouse)
    Alyson Brown
    Alyson Brown has worked for the Second District Court, Davis County, for 38 years. For many of those years, she has been serving in the position of Clerk of Court. She witnessed the introduction of computers in Davis County during 1981 and has been instrumental in the records retention and preservation of permanent records. She has worked closely with the Utah State Archives to ensure that Utah State Court records from 1986 forward can be located. Present day court records are captured and maintained in an electronic format, which is a far cry from recording everything by hand in leather bound books.

    Alyson has graduated from the Michigan State University Judicial Administration Program. She has also been recognized for her significant contribution to the effective operation of the Utah State Courts and dedication to her position by receiving a meritorious service award from the Chief Justice of the Utah Supreme Court.

    Alyson lives in Kaysville with her husband. She is a mother of four children and grandmother of eight. She enjoys outdoor and family activities.

Page Last Updated July 26, 2018.