NSDCGS Program Meeting feature speakers with expertise on various issues relating to Genealogy.
- 4th Tuesday of the month (except December)
- In-person: City of Carlsbad Faraday Administration Building in Room 173B
- Doors open at 9:30 a.m.
- Virtual via Zoom: Registration link below
- Presentation: 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
- All meetings will be hybrid (in-person and virtual)
- Presentation recordings are available to current NSDCGS members
Upcoming Speakers and Topics
February 24, 2026 – HYBRID
What’s New in Family Tree Maker 2024 presented by Mark Olsen
Mark Olsen will present remotely
Presentation will not be recorded
Virtual attendees – Register HERE
Join us for a live discussion and Q and A session to answer all your questions about Family Tree Maker 2024, updates, features, and more. This is an interactive session for both virtual Zoom attendees and attendees who come in person to the City of Carlsbad, Faraday Center, Room 173 at 1635 Faraday Avenue, Carlsbad. We would love to see you and discuss all your Family Tree Maker 2024 questions. We have tables and Wi-Fi at the in-person location so you can bring your laptops.
Mark Olsen is the Family Tree Maker Ambassador to historical and genealogical societies around the world working to support their members as they use Family Tree Maker. Mark is a graduate of Brigham Young University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Family History with a Spanish records emphasis. He has been working in the genealogy industry since 2007 and has been the Family Tree Maker Ambassador since 2016.
March 24, 2026 – HYBRID
Why You Should Research Collateral Lines presented by Dawn Carlile
Dawn Carlile will present remotely
Presentation will be recorded and available for 3 months
Virtual attendees – Registration available later
What are collateral Lines? All the other relatives that are not your direct descendants such as aunts, uncles, cousins, and in-laws. You can learn a lot about your ancestors by looking at their records. Information found in researching collateral relatives may provide the answers you so desperately seek about your direct line ancestors.
Dawn Carlile, a native Oregonian, is a professional genealogist, educator, and lecturer who enjoys teaching others about researching their families as much as she does doing research. Once she started looking into her family she was hooked. After many years of helping others with their research, she started Genealogy Roots and Branches in 2021. She is vice president of the Oregon Genealogical Society, their education and seminar committee chair, and the incoming president for 2023. She is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, and Genealogical Speakers Guild, and has taken institute courses from the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records, Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh, Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research, Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy, and SLIG Academy for Professionals. She has a B.A. degree in management from Bushnell University. Dawn’s areas of interest are the West Coast, Midwest, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ireland, Scotland, and Denmark.
April 28, 2026 – HYBRID
Mistakes I Have Made: Confessions of a Repentant Genealogist presented by Cheri Hudson Passey
Cheri Hudson Passey will present remotely
Presentation will be recorded and available for 1 months
Virtual attendees – Registration available later
We all make mistakes as we build our family tree. Discover how to avoid them from a repentant genealogist. She made mistakes, but you don’t have to!
Cheri Hudson Passey is a professional genealogist, instructor, writer, and speaker, and the owner of Carolina Girl Genealogy, LLC. She hosts the YouTube genealogy chat show GenFriends and works as a genealogical researcher subcontracted by Eagle Investigative Services, Inc. for the U.S. Army Past Conflict Repatriations Branch. Cheri is actively involved in a wide range of genealogy societies and organizations and currently serves on the board of the National Genealogical Society. Her work emphasizes sound research methodology, context-driven analysis, and making genealogy approachable and meaningful for researchers at every level. She writes the blog Carolina Girl Genealogy, where she shares practical research tips, proven methodologies, family stories, and her own research adventures. Cheri is also the author of Genealogy in Reverse: Finding the Living, A Practical Guide for All Genealogists.
May 26, 2026 – HYBRID
Got Mail: Using Postcards and Letter to Unlock Your Family History presented by Michelle Spencer
Michelle Spencer will present remotely
Presentation will be recorded and available for 6 months
Virtual attendees – Registration available later
Postcards and letters to family members can enrich your genealogical research. They can add details to your ancestor’s life and timeline, aid in cluster (“FAN”) research, provide clues about military service and occupations, and add historical context for family events. Join me in this lighthearted look through Grandma’s mail.
Michelle L. Spencer, owner of RomaMaryGrace, specializes in family business research, material culture, pandemics, and historic preservation. Michelle has more than thirty years of speaking, research, and writing experience. She loves traveling, researching, and collecting old things. She has co-authored more than sixty nominations to the National Register of Historic Places and her genealogical clients included the television shows Who Do You Think You Are? and Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. She and her husband live in Millbrook, AL. You can find her on YouTube: @romamarygrace1909 or online at romamarygrace.com.
June 23, 2026
Key US Records for Mexican Research presented by Lisa Medina
Past Topics
2026
- January: Write Your Family History Quickly presented by Susie Wickman
2025
- January: 8 Tips for Using AI as Your Genealogy Assistant presented by Dana Leeds
- February: Railroad Record and Railroad History: Methods for Tracking presented by Paula Stuart-Warren
- March: The Value of Using Maps presented by Suzanne Young Brayer
- April: Do Yourself A Favor: Create A Locality Guide presented by Lisa Medina
- May: Using Tax Records in Your Family History Research presented by Melanie McComb
- June: Unraveling Family History with AI: Leveraging AI to Trace an Ancestor’s Journey with ChatGPT presented by Diane Henriks
- July: Creating Your Ancestor’s Resume presented by Karen Molohon
- August: Internet Archive For The Family Historian presented by Tina Beaird
- September: Solving Your Picture (Photo) Problems presented by Allyson Maughan
- October: The Salem Witchcraft Hysteria presented by John Putnam
2024
- January: Research a Veteran presented by Jennifer Holik
- February: The Greatest Generation presented by Jennifer Holik
- March: Heritage Tours: How to Plan Your Own Ancestry Travel presented by Erica Forrest
- April: Learn from Lineage Societies … without Being a Member! presented by Elizabeth Swanay O’Neal
- May: Stories among the Headstones: Researching in the Cemetery presented by Cheri Hudson Passey
- June: The Family History Research “Circle”: The Internet, FamilySearch Centers, Social Networks, Libraries and On-Site Research presented by Maureen Brady
- July: Locating Images of Ancestors: Putting A Face With A Name presented by Andy Likins
- August: Let’s Get Social With Genealogy And Social Media presented by Amber Oldenburg
- September: Not Who He Once Was: Tips For Finding Your Name Changing Ancestors presented by Mary Kircher Roddy
- October: American Warp, Jewish Weft: Weaving Jewish-Specific Sources With Traditional Genealogy presented by Jane Neff Rollins
- November: Getting the Most From Distant Relatives presented by Ed Storey