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The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the world’s largest association for the genealogical profession, is pleased to name Michelle Dwyer Cohen of Poulsbo, Washington, as its next Executive Director. Cohen succeeds Kathleen W. Hinckley, CG, who will retire on 31 January 2023 after 27 years as Executive Director.

Cohen brings more than thirty years of project management experience to her new role, as well as a familiarity with the world of genealogy. A former Executive Director with JP Morgan Chase, she managed a global team of project managers responsible for implementing multi-million-dollar projects for various divisions within the Global Investment Bank.

"We are delighted to announce the hiring of Michelle Dwyer Cohen as our next Executive Director,” said APG President Annette Burke Lyttle. “Michelle is an accomplished executive with extensive experience in organizational management and membership engagement on an international level. We are excited to have her on board.” Cohen is a graduate of Cornell University (BA, Cum Laude) and New York University (MBA, Marketing and International Business).

Read the full press release at https://silkstart.s3.amazonaws.com/5bfd981e-12c7-4248-9fbd-5773735d0c6e.pdf.

APG is proud to offer a series of live virtual presentations aimed at educating and promoting the professional growth of our members. All programs are presented on the Zoom platform and are free to members and the public. Closed captioning will be available. APG members can access recordings of past webinars in the Member Portal. The final two webinars of the year are:

8 November 2022
Organizing Your Genealogical Education and News Alerts
Kelli Bergheimer
5:00pm - 6:30pm EST; 22:00pm London; 23:00pm Amsterdam; 9:00am (12/16) Sydney

With so many conferences, events, and webinars, how can you organize your genealogical education? Develop an education folder, make a yearly focused plan, build a document with conference and webinar links, track upcoming events, due dates, webinar links, and news alerts. Consider a digital notebook to keep your syllabi and organize your next institute course. Closed captioning will be available.

Register

15 December 2022
Workshop: Creating a Five-Year Plan Shellee Morehead
5:00pm - 7:00pm EST; 22:00pm London; 23:00pm Amsterdam; 9:00am (12/16) Sydney

Thinking about the next five years may seem daunting but having a road map to your professional goals helps you focus on achieving them, regardless of the changes around you. In this workshop, we will begin with a vision of where you want to be in five years, set goals, imagine what your job might look like, and learn how to build a manageable plan. Closed captioning will be available.

Register

On-demand recordings from the 2022 Virtual Professional Management Conference (PMC) are now available! If you missed this year’s conference or want to rewatch any sessions, you can purchase on-demand access at https://www.playbackapg.com/apg2201  and view the sessions at your convenience through April 30, 2023. Closed captioning is available for all recordings.

There are several options for ordering on-demand recordings from this year’s PMC:

--Individual sessions can be ordered for $20 each. Click the “All Sessions” tab to browse sessions and select your choices. Available to view immediately upon purchase on your Dashboard.

--Full conference package: Order all 21 conference recordings for $300. Available to view immediately upon purchase on your Dashboard.

--“Pick 5” or “Pick 10” packages: Customize a group of sessions that fit your interests by choosing 5 sessions ($80) or 10 sessions ($140). When you select either of these options at checkout, you will receive an e-mail from the Playback Now Customer Experience Team with the link to select your sessions. Upon submitting your 5 or 10 selections, please allow up to 24-48 hours to add the selections to your account. You will be notified once your sessions are available to view.

To view a list of sessions or to order, visit https://www.playbackapg.com/apg2201.

The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) welcomes you to our second virtual Professional Management Conference (PMC).

Join us 21–24 September 2022 on the Whova platform – an all-in-one, dynamic, and interactive platform for the 2022 Virtual PMC How to Pivot: Genealogy in a Changing World.

David Rencher, AG^®, CG^®, FUGA, FIGRS, will open the PMC with his keynote presentation on the future of professional genealogy. Over the course of 3½ days, choose from 21 presentations and three workshops by 23 well-known genealogy professionals including Judy G. Russell, JD, CG^®, CGL^SM, J. Mark Lowe, FUGA, Cathie Sherwood, Paul Woodbury, AG^®, and Colleen Robledo Greene, MLIS. The program includes topics on business management, education, accounting/finance, DNA, technology, and speaking.

Sessions will be 75 minutes each, a 60-minute presentation allowing for in-depth exploration of the topic, followed by a 15-minute question and answer period. Closed Captioning will be available via live Zoom captioning and on the recordings.

Be sure to tune in during the dedicated times for socializing and networking and join the fun of Speed Networking and Round Table Sessions.

The member price for full PMC registration is $175.00. In accordance with their commitment to inclusiveness, the APG Board of Directors has set a lower PMC registration price than in previous years. There is no reduction in the quantity of or quality of the PMC offerings – just simply attractive member pricing, making it more affordable for members to attend.

Workshops

APG is pleased to offer three workshops this year. Each workshop will be 2½ hours long providing plenty of time for interactive, and actionable learning. There is a nominal fee of $20.00 per workshop, in addition to the PMC registration fee. Workshop attendees must be registered for the PMC in order to participate. Seats will be limited, please see workshop descriptions for capacity numbers.

If an attendee chooses one or more workshops, they will still have the ability to view any missed sessions as recordings.

Recordings

All sessions (except workshops) will be recorded. A total of 15 sessions can be viewed in real time during the PMC and the remaining 6 sessions or any missed sessions can be viewed as recordings for up to 30 days after the PMC. Closed Captioning will be available on the recordings.

After the conclusion of the PMC presentations will be available for individual sale until 15 April 2023 with personal viewing access until 30 April 2023.

Visit  https://www.apgen.org/cpages/2022-pmc-program for the complete Program. 

Go to https://www.apgen.org/events/2022-professional-management-conference to register.

Clients expect a professional genealogist to have skills, experience and knowledge in a wide variety of areas: repository research, historical laws, nuances of record types in your locality or area of specialty, DNA, time management and organization skills, and strong communication skills.

The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) is an international not-for-profit 501(c)(6) professional organization that helps young professionals improve their genealogy proficiency and experience through ongoing training and practice by focusing on Genealogical Skills and Knowledge, Connections, and Business Skills.

APG offers a 50% discount on the annual membership to all young professionals under 30. Young professionals also receive the benefits of a full membership; including leadership and networking opportunities, discounts, access to APG Quarterly and archives, and more.

Whether you are working towards a career in genealogy or taking your passion for family history research to the next step, APG helps young professionals prepare for success.

Young Professional Membership: $60 annually (payable online)

Apply online at apgen.org/join.

Did you want to submit a proposal for the 2022 Virtual Professional Management Conference but needed more time, or did you enjoy RootsTech so much that you have completely lost track of time? Well, we have good news for you! The deadline for proposal submissions has been extended through 13 March 2022. So don’t fret, you’ve still got some time to get those submissions in!

For more information visit our website

Ready to submit? Visit https://www.apgen.org/cpages/pmc-proposals  

Questions? apgpmc@apgen.org

Deadline Quickly Approaching!
APG Call for Presentations for the
2022 Virtual Professional Management Conference
How to Pivot: Genealogy in a Changing World

The Association of Professional Genealogists (APG) will hold its 23^rd annual Professional Management Conference (PMC) How to Pivot: Genealogy in a Changing World on the 21^st – 24^th September 2022. The PMC will be held virtually on an all-in-one, dynamic, and interactive platform providing a plenitude of features, attendee engagement, and networking.

Call for Presentations

APG is now accepting proposals for creative, interactive, and actionable learning presentations geared towards changes within the world of professional genealogy. Proposals from international members are encouraged.

PMC presentations are longer than the traditional format of 50 minutes, followed by 10 minutes of questions, to allow in-depth exploration of a topic.

• Lectures are 75 minutes, which includes time for questions from attendees.
• Workshops or Panel Discussions are 150 minutes (2.5 hours) which includes time for activities or class interaction.

Suggested Topics:

Suggested topics focused on the theme How to Pivot: Genealogy in a Changing World include, but are not limited to:

• Changes in research methodology
• Diversifying your product offerings
• Changes due to the Covid-19 pandemic
• Tools to improve workflow
• Project management software
• Creating and using templates
• Business formation
• Mentoring
• Advanced marketing and publicity strategies
• Social media marketing
• Rewriting your business plan
• Shifting a client from potential to actual
• Managing a business with employees or subcontractors
• Creating client friendly reports (not academic-style research reports)
• Ethical considerations
• Beyond basic accounting – i.e., best practices for accepting non-cash payments and best practices for working internationally and with different currencies

Submission Details: 

 APG prefers new and original presentations geared to professional genealogists. Prospective speakers may submit up to four (4) proposals (lectures, workshops, or panels). APG will consider proposals from non-APG members.

 Proposals must include the following:

• Name, address, phone number, and email address of the presenter(s)
• Title of the presentation or workshop
• Summary of the presentation or workshop
• Detailed description of the presentation or workshop
• How does the presentation or workshop meet the demands and changes faced by professional genealogists? (50 to 75 words)
• Presenter(s) biography
• Presenter experience: list of presentations given in the last 18 months, including topic, audience, and location, live or virtual.
• Indicate whether or not you are willing to have your presentation recorded for possible broadcast and/or sale. (Granting permission does not guarantee your presentation will be recorded or broadcast.)

Click here for online submission form. Please complete the form and include a PDF attachment including all the above requirements. One proposal per submission. Name the PDF file with your surname and the presentation title, for example: SMITH Starting a Genealogical Business.

For details regarding our compensation policy, click here.

Deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, 4 March 2022.

If you have any questions, please email the conference coordinators at apgpmc@apgen.org