FGSCruise2015: Featured Speaker David Rencher

The Federation of Genealogical Societies has been in the conference education arena for over three decades. In 2015, FGS extends this tradition by offering its first opportunity to combine a terrific educational opportunity while aboard an Alaskan cruise.


I am honored to join my colleagues, Elizabeth Shown Mills, Judy Russell and D. Joshua Taylor in presenting this exceptional program to those who join us on this first-ever cruise offered by FGS. There is still time for you to sail with us for this exciting event and I hope that you will bring your toughest genealogical problems with you to apply a number of creative solutions to them from some of the top instructors in the genealogical field today!

--David Rencher

David will be delivering six lectures and workshops during the cruise:

• Documenting a Nation’s History Using the Resources of FamilySearch
• Framing the Problem for Overseas Research
• Tracing Immigrant Origins for Irish Ancestors
• Reconstructing the Neighborhood for Rural Dwellers in Ireland
• Reconstructing the Neighborhood for City Dwellers in Ireland
• How Will Our Society Survive?

David E. Rencher, AG, CG, FIGRS, FUGA, is employed by the Family History Department in Salt Lake City as the Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch. A professional genealogist since 1977, he is an Accredited GenealogistCM with ICAPGenSM in Ireland research and a Certified GenealogistSM with the Board for Certification of Genealogists®. He is the Irish course coordinator and instructor for the Samford University Institute of Genealogical and Historical Research (IGHR) in Birmingham, Alabama. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1980 with a BA in Family and Local History.

David is a past-president of the Federation of Genealogical Societies (FGS) 1997-2000, a national genealogical society umbrella organization, a past-president of the Utah Genealogical Association (UGA) 1993-1995 and a Fellow of that organization. He is a fellow of the Irish Genealogical Research Society, London and is a vice-president of the Genealogical Society of Utah (GSU). He is currently serving as the Chair of the joint Federation of Genealogical Societies and National Genealogical Society committee for Record Preservation and Access and serves as the Secretary for the Federation of Genealogical Societies, and as trustee for the Umpstead, Jr. and Elizabeth Jemima Philpott Rencher and the Winslow Farr, Sr. Family Organizations.