We've just heard the fantastic news about our fellow Salt Lake Professional Genealogist, David Rencher, AG, CG. We are thrilled to learn of his accomplishments and new position as FamilySearch's Chief Genealogical Officer. Great Choice!!!! A top-drawer professional has been chosen to lead-out and continue the expansion and growth that is to come at FamilySearch. David Rencher's appointment is a strong statement about the standards and growth of the public domain family tree.

David is a great example for all who wish a viable career in Professional Genealogy. He is a full-time professional genealogist who has earned the professional designation. He has had a rich and diversified career experience, rooted in;
#1- Genealogical Research
#2 - Member of the Premier Genealogy organization and library in the world - FHL
#3 - Technology-based Genealogy for FamilySearch.org
#4 - Instructor, Teacher, Lecturer.

These are some of the professional career path hallmarks of his 28 year career in Professional Genealogy:

Formal Education: BA, Family and Local History, Brigham Young University, 1980
Formal Training: BYU and Family History Library
Formal Employment: Vice President of Genealogical Society of Utah and Chief Genealogical Officer of FAMILYSEARCH.
Formal Credentials: AG, CG
Formal Continuing Education - As Instructor and Participant - multitude of national and international institutes, conferences and seminars - including Samford's IGHR, Salt Lake Institute, NGS, FGS
Formal Pro Bono Publico - served as President of UGA

This is Professional Genealogy in the 21st Century!
(Deseret News Mormon Times 05/15/09 http://tinyurl.com/qryh63)

Submitted by:

James W. Petty, AG, CG,
B.A. (History), B.S. (Genealogy)
Member APG - Salt Lake Chapter

Mary E. Petty, B.A.(History), B.A. (Genealogy)
Member APG - Salt Lake Chapter
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Ancestors are the People of History. Do you know who yours are? Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES Family History & Genealogy find your ancestry!
1-800-570-4049; www.heirlines.com; PO Box 893, Salt Lake City, UT 84110
© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.

The way things are today in professional genealogy research services is that professional genealogists get to define themselves and what they do. It truly is a buyer's beware marketplace, whether the so-called professional is doing genealogy personally, volunteering, pro bono publico, or commercially. Without the constraints of a profession, it is anything that is wanted and can be sold to the consumer.

As a practitioner in professional genealogy research services at Heirlines (www.heirlines.com), I have a commitment to formal professionalism and to the profession, to my fellow practitioners, to future practitioners, to the consumer, and to the public domain family tree. This is my standard. It is the philosophical motivation of my practice. I share my views on this list in anticipation of that future day when others will likewise desire a real formalized profession in genealogy research services. This is in the best interests of all stakeholders.

As a side note, in reviewing the website for the qualified members-only career organization for 150,000 psychologists, American Psychological Association www.apa.org , I found some very useful information in my study of professionalism. I learned about their eligibility requirements and the career focus of this professional organization. I look forward to the day when Professional Genealogy Research Services has a similar membership of 150,000 professional genealogists who are qualified to practice genealogy and thereby raise the quality of results on the private and public domain family tree. And as such, are authorized experts to educate, teach, write, speak, lecture, and talk to the public, the consumer, future practitioners, and their fellow practitioners about their career work in family history and genealogy: pro bono publico and commercially for a fee.

Submitted by Mary E. Petty, BA (History), BA (Genealogy)

Ancestors are the People of History.● Do you know who yours are? ● Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry! ●1-800-570-4049 ● www.heirlines.com ● PO Box 893 ● Salt Lake City, UT 84110

© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ah - to have an answer to that question.

One must first understand the cheese associated with this term.

Traditionally, cheese refers to the commercial activities and in genealogy this would be work done by practitioners in Professional Genealogy Research Services. But in genealogy because it is so rooted in our very sense of self, this cheese has taken on personal, volunteer, pro bono publico definitions and uses in addition to the commercial applications. Hence, the wide scale nomenclature of the term genealogist. Currently, anyone can self designate as a genealogist and self define its meaning. Everybody seems to be climbing the family tree, talking about it, teaching it, writing about it, doing it. They are all genealogists or professional genealogists. The umbrella is very large because there is no profession of genealogy research services to set the needed definitions, standards, and ethics for the professional designation as genealogist or professional genealogist by education, methodologies, skills, training, continuing education, best practices, credentials, and competency in practice and commercial activities.

While Commercial Genealogy Research Services has not professionalized, attempts to use the adjective "professional" as a "noun" or "state of being" for the personal, volunteer, or pro bono publico aspects are taking place. These are and will shape the commercial enterprise and activities, and the growth and development of a formal profession in professional genealogy research services. I foresee the day when "genealogist" will have meaning as the profession of professional genealogy research services is formally organized and supports the "professional genealogist". And properly so, the personal, volunteer, pro bono publico and commercial cheese in genealogy will know what constitutes a genealogist and a professional genealogist.

Submitted by Mary E. Petty, BA (History), BA (Genealogy)

Ancestors are the People of History.● Do you know who yours are? ● Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry! ●1-800-570-4049 ● www.heirlines.com ● PO Box 893 ● Salt Lake City, UT 84110
© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.

Every profession has their own standards and adheres to their own version of the professional career path to qualify and establish the authorized practitioner in the industry of the profession. Journalism is currently being taken over by the citizen blogger and is not the professional model I would hope Professional Genealogy Research Services will follow. I encourage a higher degree of professionalization in professional genealogy research services along the lines of Cosmetology, Medicine, and Education - but without governmental regulation, if the profession can self-regulate as is done in pro golf.

Frankly, because of the sensitive nature and the legal, financial, scientific, and health consequences and repercussions of professional genealogy research services, I do not foresee a future in the profession without some regulation. It is my hope that the practitioners will take an active role and have a say in how that regulation is developed and applied. This will require the standardization of the formal educational template in genealogy research services used to school and train the practitioner who desires to qualify and be authorized to be a professional genealogist and take clients whether for a fee or pro bono and research, teach, speak, and write as experts in professional genealogy research services. The professional career model followed in cosmetology, medicine, and education includes such formal education as well as training, experience, ethics, standards, best business practices, and continuing education along with the attendant professionals-only credentialing of the practitioners. Use of this level of professionalism in professional genealogy research services is in the best interests of the profession, the practitioner, future professional genealogists, the consumer, and the public domain family tree.

Submitted by Mary E. Petty, BA (History), BA (Genealogy)

Ancestors are the People of History.● Do you know who yours are? ● Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry! ●1-800-570-4049 ● www.heirlines.com ● PO Box 893 ● Salt Lake City, UT 84110

© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.

What is a Public Domain Family Tree?"

This is a term created and used by Heirlines Professional Genealogy (www.heirlines.com). It refers to public family trees, family history, genealogy, etc - publically posted, listed, shared for a fee or free in all venues - by anyone: professional genealogists, professional genealogy businesses and companies; professional genealogy and genealogy non-profits; professional genealogy and genealogy organizations (societies, libraries, companies, etc); websites or databases sharing citizen genealogy or professional genealogy - whether or not listing professional genealogy documentation, sourcing, and citation.

"Public Domain Family Tree"

This is a term for family history and genealogy information that is available and accessible to the public in all kinds of venues for use in genealogy research services and by others. Privately-held family tree refers to that information that is not available and accessible to the public but may be client-provided for use on their professional genealogy research services project or for other types of requests for such information (medical, legal, government, etc.).

Here are a few brief thoughts on this as it relates to the ongoing discussion; "professionalization of professional genealogy research services".

Today's public domain family tree is family history and genealogy publicly available and accessible. It affects both privately-held and public trees and information. It is non-standardized, random, and suspect - produced by a multitude of competing standards, criteria, definitions, and expectations. Each of these is based on different requirements and qualifications, and each effort is trying to establish family tree information as correct. The result is a cacophony of voices that presents a state of confusion and inertia, as it is unclear which of these rival systems is currently the most accurate and should be taken forward, and which is not and should be left behind. Through the professionalization of professional genealogy research services, future production of family history and genealogy would be authoritative, definite, and authentic.

Professionalization would eventually impact both the public domain and privately-held family tree information with best and truthful research results as the profession, the practitioner and the consumer came to have standards, criteria, definitions, expectations in common. This firm foundation in the public domain family tree would enable further accurate extensions of the family tree both privately and publicly.

Wouldn't it be great if the public domain family tree could be trusted? Provided sources, documentation, citations, and DNA and standardized? Resulting in reliable, accurate, dependable, repetitive, economical, efficient and trustworthy outcomes. That way you could sift the wheat from the chaff in the public domain and publicly and privately use and build upon the accurate family tree of man. Professionalizing professional genealogy research services is in the best interests of the profession, the practitioner, future professional genealogists, the consumer, and the public domain family tree.

Submitted by Mary E. Petty, BA (History), BA (Genealogy)

Ancestors are the People of History. Do you know who yours are? Let the Professionals at HEIRLINES FAMILY HISTORY & GENEALOGY find your ancestry! 1-800-570-4049 www.heirlines.com PO Box 893 Salt Lake City, UT 84110
© 2009, Heirlines Family History & Genealogy, Inc. All rights reserved.