Certificates of Appreciation
Introduced in 1993, APG’s Certificates of Appreciation recognize individual members for their outstanding, continual, or uncommon contributions to furthering the objectives and activities of the association. This award is open to all active members of APG in good standing.
Past Recipients
Wendy McLean | Recognized for her extraordinary support during the Professional Management Conference
Members of the APG Quarterly (APGQ) Production Team: Amy E. K. Arner, CG®, Rachel Croucher, Ian Watson, Matthew Wright | Recognized for their work with the APGQ editor to return the magazine to its correct schedule following the COVID years, which meant juggling three issues simultaneously for over a year.
LaDonna Garner | Recognized for her contributions to APG as chair of the Professional Development Committee in 2021 and as technical coordinator for the 2021 APG Professional Management Conference.
Shauna Hicks | Recognized for her efforts to reopen APG’s Australia and New Zealand Chapter during the pandemic.
Melissa Johnson, CG® | Recognized for her eleven years of service as the APGQ Reviews Editor.
Carol Dye Ekdahl, CG® | Recognized for her eighteen years of service as APG’s Registered Agent.
Sandra Hildreth Ball, CPA | Recognized for her years of service as treasurer and for initiating APG’s use of a bookkeeping/tax service to improve the organization’s financial processes.
APG Website Committee: Amy E. K. Arner, Mike Bronner, Carla S. Cegielski and Yvette Hoitink, CG® | Recognized for their work on the APG Website.
Deborah Hooper, CG® | Recognized for her service to APG as a member of the Board of Directors and the Code of Ethics and Professional Practices Committee.
Fiona Fitzsimons | Recognized for her service to APG as a member of the Board of Directors, her work on revising APG's bylaws, and her advocacy to grow and strengthen APG in Ireland.
Ruy Cardoso, CG® | Recognized for his service to APG as member of the Code of Ethics and Professional Practices Committee.
Catherine Desmarais, CG® | Recognized for her service to APG as Vice President, on the Bylaws Committee, and on the Code of Ethics and Professional Practices Committees.
Kimberly T. Powell | Recognized for her service and dedication to the Professional Development Committee.
Diane Rapaport | Recognized for her years of service on the Publications Advisory Committee.
Carol Bannister | Recognized for her passion and dedicated assistance in the formation and continued support of the Britain, Ireland and the Isles Chapter, and support and staffing of the APG stand at Who Do You Think You Are? Live (2013–2014).
Melanie Holtz, CG® | Recognized for her hours of work and innovative ideas as part of the APG Professional Development Committee (2011-2014), which she chaired in 2014.
Amy E. K. Arner | Recognized for her participation in the Publications Advisory Committee, proofreading the APGQ, and six years as a Board member.
Diane Gravel | Recognized for her diligence in working with APG's chapters. Under her leadership as APG Chapter Review Committee Chair, she started a chapter chat where chapters can communicate with each other about problems and solutions within the chapters.
Sarah Kirby | Recognized for her chairmanship and continued outstanding service to the Publications Advisory Committee.
Harold Henderson, CG® | Recognized for exceptional dedication to APG, especially for going well above and beyond service as chair of the APGQ Advisory Committee.
Mary Penner | Recognized for outstanding service and significant contributions to APG, including work on the newsletter, the Professional Issues Committee, the Strategic Planning Committee, and the Membership Working Group.
Eileen M. O'Duill, CG® | Recognized for eight years of service to the Board of Directors, and being instrumental in organizing APG's participation in Who Do You Think You Are? Live in London, England.
Beverly Rice, CG® | Recognized for her work as APG Roundtable coordinator, 2005-10.
Melanie D. Holtz, CG® | Recognized for her work as compiler for APG Quarterly's "Chapter Spotlight" and "Member News" sections from 2008-11.
Angela Packer McGhie | Recognized for her leadership as president of the APG National Capital Area Chapter, as well as for her educational efforts in coordinating the ProGen Study Groups, directing her local Family History Center and in initiating a workshop featuring Thomas Jones, PhD, CG®, CGLSM, FASG.
Polly Kimmitt, CG® | Recognized for her activities as president of the New England Chapter of APG in 2009. During her tenure, Kimmitt was responsible for driving an increase in meeting attendance and chapter memberships and motivated the organization to design a chapter logo, brochure and new interactive website. Under her leadership, the chapter created a booth and presence at the New England Regional Genealogical Conference and its featured Ancestors Road Show. The chapter credits Kimmitt's energy and guidance in helping it be named "Golden Chapter" at the APG Gathering of the Chapters at the 2009 National Genealogical Society Family History Conference in Raleigh, NC.
Luke M. Muszkiewicz | Recognized for his long-term contributions to the APG organization in the areas of technical advice, computer programming, web design, and customer service.
Alvie L. Davidson, CG® | Recognized for continued generosity and involvement in the support, planning, and execution of APG's 30th Anniversary Celebration and the 2009 Professional Management Conference.
Donna Moughty | Recognized for her work as the APG Professional Management Conference Coordinator.
Beverly Rice, CG® | Recognized for her work as APG Treasurer, Roundtable Coordinator, and the IRS FEIN project.
Linda Courtemanche | Recognized for her work as chair of the Chapter Review Committee.
Patricia Walls Stamm, CG®, CGLSM | Recognized for her committee work leading to the PMC Young Professional Scholarship. Stamm, from Missouri, teaches genealogical classes at St. Louis Community College. She has served on the APG Board of Directors for the past five years.
Richard F. Robinson, CG® | Recognized for his work as APG Information Officer. Robinson, based in Boynton Beach, Florida, writes for popular historical-genealogical publications including the APGQ. He was the charter president of the APG Florida Chapter.
Amy Larner Giroux, CG® | Recognized for her work as APG Webmaster, particularly during the web site and directory upgrades of the last year. Giroux, a researcher, lecturer and writer from Florida, is an award-winning author and a trustee for the Board for Certification of Genealogists (BCG).
The APG Oregon Chapter | Recognized for its members' many years of work organizing and leading discussions at APG Roundtables. Each year the Oregon Chapter provides the approved subject for the APG sponsored Roundtable. The Roundtable is held at the national conferences sponsored by the National Genealogical Society and the Federation of Genealogical Societies.
Nancy Coleman | Recognized for her four years of innovative and tireless work on the Ancestors Road Show, sponsored by the New York Metro Chapter.
Matt Wright | Recognized for his dedication to making the APGQ reflect the professionalism to which all our members strive and to truly make it a member benefit publication.
Jan Davenport | Recognized for her special efforts in planning and implementing APG's 25th Anniversary Celebration and her continuing management of APG's presence at major conference exhibit halls.
Elissa Powell | Recognized for her boundless enthusiasm and non-stop work on behalf of APG during her six years’ service on the APG Board of Directors.
Heather Henderson | Recognized for the immeasurable contribution she made to the APG 2006 Branding and Marketing Project for which she designed brochures, marketing signs, promotional items, and the website prototype. Her outstanding design work enhanced APG's professional image and her dedication, determination, boundless enthusiasm, and positive attitude exemplify professionalism.
Eileen Polakoff | Recognition for her dedication to the Professional Management Conference. Upon her retirement from the coordinator's position,she was presented with a lifetime registration certificate for future conferences.
Peter van der Heijden | Recognized for his outstanding service as APG Webmaster for five years.
Alvie L. Davidson, CGRS | Recognized for his generous gift of underwriting APG's 25th anniversary expenses.
Claire Mire Bettag, CGRS, CGLSM | Recognized for her outstanding service to APG as a board member and chair of the Publications Advisory Committee.
Chuck Knuthson | Recognized for volunteer service to APG in preparation of the 2004 NGS Conference.
Annette Hulse | Recognized for her expertise and contribution to creating new editions of APG brochures.
Gail Jackson Miller, CG® | Recognized for her expertise and contribution to creating new editions of APG brochures.
Carol Dye Ekdahl, CGRS | Recognized for six years of dedicated service to the APG Professional Management Conference Committee, including the preparation of policies and procedures.
Patricia Law Hatcher, CG®, FASG | Recognized for five years of her valued assistance to the APG Professional Management Conference Committee.
Gladys Friedman Paulin, CGRS | Recognized for her three years of valued assistance to the APG Professional Management Conference Committee.
Marcia A. Rice | Recognized for her service on the Professional Management Conference Committee.
Terry Moore | Recognized for service as the Directory Distribution Manager.
Robert D. Griffin | Recognized for his efforts in mailing membership directories to public libraries.
Ann T. Chaplin, CG® | Recognized for four years of service on the Board of Trustees and three years of chairing the Professional Arbitration Committee.
Nancy Emmert, CG® | Recognized for serving two years on the Board of Trustees, providing pro bono reviews of APG's financial records for a number of years, and serving on the most recent Redistribution Committee.
Marie Martin Murphy, CGRS | Recognized for serving two separated terms on the Board of Trustees representing two different regions (Marie had moved from Illinois to Virginia in the interim), acting as APG's first Directory Distribution Manager when the Association began distributing free copies to libraries and archives, and chairing the Professional Arbitration Committee in 2000.
Eileen O'Duill, CGRS | Recognized for serving on the Board of Trustees for six years and frequently traveling from Ireland to attend meetings. She also served on the most recent Redistribution Committee.
Carol Ekdahl | Recognized for her work on the Professional Management Conference Committee.
Dawn Slater-Putt | Recognized for her work as APG Quarterly Book Review Editor.
Linda Geiger | Recognized for her labors as Directory Distribution Manager.
Barbara Mathews | Recognized for her efforts as Chapter Liaison.
Eileen Polakoff | Recognized for being the force behind the Professional Management Conference and for continuing her excellent work as coordinator of the Roundtables.
Ann Chaplin, CG® | Recognized for work on the Professional Arbitration Committee.
Thomas Jones, CG® | Recognized for work on the Publications Review Committee.
Nancy Emmert | Recognied for auditing APG's books.
Suzanne McVetty, CG® | Recognized for work on APG Quarterly.
Sharon DeBartolo Carmack, CGRS | Recognized for her work on the APG Quarterly.
Gordon Remington | Recognized for his work on developing the chapter guidelines.
Kay Haviland Freilich, CGRS | Recognized for acting as the copy editor of the APG Quarterly.
Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CGRS | Recognized for being the editor of the APG Quarterly and 1997-1998 Directory.
Marie Varrelman Melchiori, CGRS, CGL | Recognized for being troubleshooter extraordinaire.
Birdie Monk Holsclaw | Recognized for being the copy editor of the APG Quarterly and editing our website.
Jennifer Schmidt | Recognized for being the advertising manager of the APG Quarterly.
Mike St. Clair | Recognized for developing our website.
Marcia Wyett, CGRS | Recognized for being APGQ staff.
Barbara Meehan — For creating the Are You Ready? brochure.
Marie Martin Murphy | Recognized for considerable and tireless service to APG with chairmanship of booths, service on committees, and directory marketing.
Kathleen Hinckley, CGRS | Recognized for her outstanding and devoted services as Executive Secretary, establishing procedures, updating the Association's database, and devoting many extra hours to her position.
Elizabeth Kerstens | Recognized for undertaking her new duties as editor of the APG Quarterly and establishing procedures.
Brenda Kellow, CG® | Recognized for developing the new membership application.
Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, CGRS | Recognized for her considerable efforts in editing the 1995-1996 APG Directory.
Suzanne McVetty, CG® | Recognized for service on the Board as she reaches her term limits and committees for the APG Quarterly interviews and assistance, support and encouragement to the current Executive Committee.
Barbara Comeaux Strickland | Recognized for dedicated and often unrecognized service as Executive Secretary..
Sheila Benedict, CGRS | Recognized for tireless support and San Diego APG booth Chairmanship.
Joan Nicholas | Recognized for booth chairmanship at Seattle.
Connie Potter | Recognized for ongoing support of APG and special contributions at the APG luncheon in San Diego.
Barbara Winge — For service as Book Review Editor.
Nancy Emmert — For auditing services.
Duncan Chaplin, CALS & Ann Chaplin, CG® — Recognized for considerable handling of APG activities at the New England Regional Conference.
Karen Livsey and Anne Anderson | Recognized for considerable assistance to the new Executive Committee.
Ruth Christian, APG Parliamentarian | Recognized for special assistance to the new Executive Committee.
Ruth Christian | Recognized for chairing the Bylaws Committee.
Irene Goldstein | Recognized for being copy editor.
Eileen Polakoff | Recognized for organizing Roundtables.
Kathleen W. Hinckley, CGRS | Recognized for serving as the former Professional Review Board Chair.
Gordon Remington | Recognized for storing APG files, serving as Registered Agent, and picking up and forwarding mail.