CAFG Forensic Genealogy Blog

We would like to welcome Jerry Smith, our newest Associate Member of the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy. Gerald H. "Jerry" Smith, CG, specializes in Pennsylvania research. He researches frequently at the Pennsylvania Archives, State Library of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State Law Library, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, military repositories (including David Library of the American Revolution and the US Army Military History Institute), religious & denominational repositories, county courthouses, and various county and local historical and genealogical societies. His projects frequently take him to repositories in nearby Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

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Wanda Smith, JD, is an oil and gas attorney licensed to practice law in Texas and Arkansas. In her capacity as vice president of the land department at an oil and gas exploration company, she is responsible for ensuring unknown and missing heirs of mineral rights are located and leased prior to drilling. She has performed extensive courthouse, probate, and intestacy research for genealogical purposes throughout Texas and Arkansas for the past five years.

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Mark Nicholson, BA, PMP is our newest international Advanced Member of the Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy. He began taking genealogical research projects for private clients on the Compuserve network in 1990. Later, he began fee-for-service work to locate missing heirs and named beneficiaries for probate and court purposes. He attended Albert-Ludwigs University and has a BA from the University of Saskatchewan and a Project Management Professional designation. His clients are from both the United States and Canada. Mark has completed research cases in Canada, United States, Europe and South Africa. He has a website, MNA Research, http://www.mna.ca. We look forward to getting to know Mark better and sharing in his expertise. 

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Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG) has launched its initial ad campaign to reach a national audience of potential consumers. The advertisements promote CAFG objectives to advance public awareness and understanding of the profession, and to encourage broader use of the services of qualified forensic genealogists. An ad will appear in the 2013 Equal Justice Conference program distributed to more than 800 attorneys, judges, paralegals, investigators, capital mitigation specialists and other attendees of the May conference. CAFG's message will reach a diverse audience, including prestigious law firms specializing in immigration, criminal, and civil cases in which kinship determination may be necessary.

Also in May, a CAFG ad will run in the "Facts & Findings" journal of the Association of Legal Assistants – Paralegals (NALA).  CAFG will receive two bonus ads, one each in the annual new products section and in the NALA online services directory. According to NALA, "Legal assistants and paralegals are individuals who assist lawyers in the delivery of legal services." By reaching out to the key employees at law firms who identify forensic genealogists,  CAFG increases exposure to its organization and its members.

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The Council for the Advancement of Forensic Genealogy (CAFG) has established a Volunteer Initiative Program (VIP)to give back to the community while helping members gain experience. The program, coordinated by Catherine Desmarais, CG (sm), has established "Unclaimed Kin" as its first VIP project.

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