The Board for Certification of Genealogists® Elects Returning and New Trustees

The Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG) congratulates three returning and two newly elected trustees for their election to terms beginning in October 2024.

The BCG board is composed of fifteen (15) trustees. All hold the Certified Genealogist® credential, and all serve without compensation. Every year, five trustees are elected by BCG associates to serve a three-year term. As the result of the election conducted last month, three current trustees will return and two new trustees will join the BCG board. The terms of office of the re-elected or newly elected trustees will begin after the end of the annual board meeting on 13 October 2024.

Returning Trustees

Matthew Blaine Berry, CG®, became an associate on 9 November 2019. He was elected to the BCG Board of Trustees in 2021 and currently serves as the website coordinator. Matt was the program chairperson for the National Genealogical Society’s 2022 and 2024 Family History Conferences and is a co-program chair for the 2025 conference. He is currently treasurer of the California Genealogical Society. Matt was formerly a vice president at Wells Fargo Bank and spent fifteen years as a satellite systems engineer at Lockheed Martin. Matt attended the University of California, Berkeley, receiving a BA in applied mathematics and an MS in operations research. He also received an MBA, with a finance concentration, from Santa Clara University. Matt’s other passion is hiking. He has walked the Camino de Santiago four times (so far) and enjoys day hikes in the San Francisco Bay Area and Yosemite National Park.

Angela Packer McGhie, CG®, FUGA, has been board-certified since 2016. She is a trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists, chair of the BCG Strategic Planning Committee, and serves on four other BCG committees. Angela served as curriculum designer and administrator of the ProGen Study Program for six years and is now on its board of directors. Following her passion for genealogy education, she coordinates multiple courses at the Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research and the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy. Previously, she held roles as education director of the National Genealogical Society and president of the National Capital Area chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists. Her articles have appeared in UGA’s Crossroads magazine, the APG Quarterly, and the NGS Magazine.

Mary Kircher Roddy, CG®, holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from the University of California, Riverside and a master's in professional accounting from the University of Texas. She is a certified public accountant. She earned a Certificate in Genealogy and Family History from the University of Washington, and was certified by BCG in 2019. Mary began genealogy research on her own family in 2000, and since about 2010 has worked part-time as a genealogist, speaking to societies and at conferences, and doing research and genealogy coaching for clients. She is a graduate of ProGen 31 and was a mentor for ProGen 48. She served as treasurer for the Association of Professional Genealogists from 2018 through 2021. Mary is co-editor of the National Genealogical Society Quarterly. She is one of the founders of the Applied Genealogy Institute. She serves as BCG booth coordinator at conferences and other events.

Newly Elected Trustees
Mark A. Wentling, MLS, CG®, Massachusetts, believes strongly in promoting awareness of BCG’s standards as attainable measures of excellence and of its credentials for fostering public confidence in our work. He is a full-time forensic genealogist specializing in heir research, military repatriation, and New England and New York genealogy. He is an adjunct professor of genealogy at the University of New Haven, and a past mentor for ProGen Study Group. His work is published in The NEHG Register and Mayflower Descendant. He holds a Certificate in Genealogical Research from Boston University, a master of library science degree from the University of Maryland at College Park, and a BA in sociology. He is an APG board member, a past vice president of its Forensic SIG and New England Chapter, and a past board member of AGES. He co-authored BCG’s white paper on credentials and standards in forensic genetic genealogy in 2024.

Jennifer Zinck, CG®, is passionate about ensuring that genealogists have access to historical records and serves as BCG’s representative to the Records Preservation & Access Coalition (RPAC). She is a dedicated genealogical advocate currently working to resolve critical access issues related to the Social Security Death Master File and US Citizenship and Immigration Services records that are overdue for transfer to NARA. In her home state of Connecticut, Jennifer serves as the president of the Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council and as a member of the board of governors of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. Jennifer builds bridges for genealogists through outreach to record custodians, educating them about the benefits of collaboration with genealogical researchers. She shares her love of family history through community programs at schools, libraries, and senior centers. Jennifer is inspired by the outdoors and treasures spending time with her family, especially her husband, children, and grandson.

The five newly-elected trustees join ten trustees not up for election this year: Gary Ball-Kilbourne, Catherine Desmarais, Jari Honora, LaBrenda Garrett-Nelson, Shannon Green, Barbara Vines Little, David Ouimette, Faye Jenkins Stallings, Karen Stanbary, and Scott Wilds.

The words Certified Genealogist and letters CG are registered certification marks, and the designations Certified Genetic Genealogist or CGG, and Certified Genealogical Lecturer or CGL are service marks of the Board for Certification of Genealogists®, used under license by board certificants after periodic evaluation.