TxSGS is fortunate to be sustained by dedicated volunteers who passionately support TxSGS and its mission. Some of them have invested numerous hours over many years in TxSGS events, programs, and projects. At the Annual Business Meeting on November 12, 2022, President Susan Ball highlighted efforts of thirteen of those volunteers who made a difference this year for TxSGS and genealogists who live and research in Texas.
Certificates of Appreciation
In 2022, TxSGS showed appreciation to five outstanding volunteers through a Certificate of Appreciation. The first four helped make the 2022 TxSGS Family History Conference a huge success.
- For the fourth year, Elizabeth Hicks served as chair of the Door Prize Committee, soliciting donations for 29 door prizes this year.
- As a member of the Sponsors and Exhibitors Committee, Barbara Coakley was responsible for coordinating deliverables from sponsors and exhibitors for virtual booths at the fall conference.
- As host of TxSGS Live! for the third year, TxSGS Director of Education Susan Kaufman added an extra pizzazz that won rave reviews from conference attendees.
- Nancy Gilbride Casey’s keen eye for grammar and knowledge of endnote formatting has been greatly appreciated by the Stirpes editors.
Presidential Citations
President Susan Ball conferred Presidential Citations on those volunteers who have provided exceptional service to TxSGS.
- The first recipient was TxSGS Director of Membership, Tony Hanson. Tony has a passion for society management. For the second year, he and Emily Richardson have planned and hosted quarterly meetings of the Partner Society Leadership Forum to help society leaders develop the skills and tools to help their societies thrive.
- In early 2022, Emily Richardson conceived a podcast focused on genealogy resources in Texas. Through her leadership, the TxSGS Lone Star Family Trails Podcast was launched and has recorded seven episodes, reaching genealogists across Texas with insights on repositories, archives, and unique Texas resources.
- Melody Hooper Woods and Paula Perkins were honored for their work on the DNA Committee. After the death of DNA Committee Chair Debbie Parker Wayne in early 2022, Melody assumed responsibility for the Early Texans Database and Paula became administrator for the Early Texans DNA Project at Family Tree DNA. The two are working closely to continue the work started by Debbie in linking early Texans through DNA.
- Serving as chair of the Heritage Certificates Committee, Marynell Bryant has managed the work of this committee for almost a decade with competence and a touch of humor. The Heritage Certificates program is one of our most popular endeavors, helping genealogists document their family’s place in Texas history.
- Bill Buckner, chair of the Awards Committee, has served in this position for almost a decade. His leadership has made this program a driving force in the preservation of family history and records through quality publications written by individuals and societies.
- Betsy Mills, TxSGS Treasurer, served as conference registrar in addition to her regular financial responsibilities.
Presidential Commendation
A special honor was bestowed on Sandra Crowley, Director of Development. In 2022, Sandra worked tirelessly in almost all aspects of TxSGS. She served as chair of the Bylaws Review Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Nominations Committee. A driving force behind the 2022 TxSGS Family History Conference, Sandra worked with Playback Now to ensure the conference ran smoothly. In addition to co-editing Stirpes, Sandra created much of the conference syllabus, wrote the TxSGS blog, published many of TxSGS’s Facebook posts, and edited videos for TxSGS and the Genealogy Network of Texas event in October.