Meet the Board
                                                      (Click here to open into a document)


Elected Officers:
                                          Karen Campbell – President – A member since 2009, I have been researching my                                            family for nearly two decades, a pursuit that began at my grandfather’s side. I was                                            born in Denver, Colorado, and raised by my parents in Aurora, in both Arapahoe                                              and Adams Counties, mostly in Adams County. I grew up in Aurora Public Schools                                            and graduated from high school there. I attended college, worked for a few years,                                            got married, and became a single mom to a wonderful son, who also grew up in the same Aurora Public Schools that I attended. Education has always been a big part of my life. It led me to Pickens Technical Center for an Administrative Assistant program, then to Community College of Aurora, where I received my associate degree in Computer Technology, and finally to Columbia College in Aurora, where I earned my bachelor’s degree with a double major in Business Administration and Human Resources Management. I was fortunate to grow up with my grandmothers. My maternal grandmother talked about her German heritage and family, including visiting with relatives. The biggest part came from my maternal grandfather, who spoke about our Bohemian relatives in my younger years. As the years moved on to decades and my grandfather aged, he talked more about our French ancestors along with our Bohemian ancestors. My paternal grandmother really didn’t know much about her family on either side of her parents. My grandfather got me started, around 2007, as we had more intense conversations about the family history and what he had found. He turned his research over to me a year or so before he passed, with strict guidance to find our French ancestors along with our Bohemian ancestors. I was fortunate to speak with at least two of my grandparents, and I strongly recommend speaking with family members while you have the opportunity. Always do the research to back up family stories and hearsay with the correct documentation, so when you hear the family stories, you can look at the documents to show proof of where your ancestors came from in the old country.

                          This could be YOU - AGS Membership Vice President - currently vacant

                          Membership Vice-President shall:

                          a. Assume the duties of the President in the absence or at the request of the President.                                    b. Be in charge of meeting attendance and name tags for members and visitors.

                          c. Assemble and verify the distribution of new-member packets.

d. Prepare a yearly report for the end of the fiscal year to be maintained in Membership Vice-President’s file. Maintain copies based on the Records Retention and Disposition Policy.

e. Report delinquent dues to the Board of Directors by the February board meeting.

f. Maintain a current membership list and provide the Board of Directors with a copy. Maintain copies based on the Records Retention and Disposition Policy.

g. Maintain a file of meeting attendees. Maintain copies based on the Records Retention and

Disposition Policy.

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                          Judy Holtus – Vice President Programs & Publicity Hello! Let me introduce myself. I am                                    Judy Christensen Holtus and I was born and raised in Denver, making me a native                                            Coloradoan. Moving to Aurora soon after marriage made this eastern suburb my home.                                  Peter and I had two children and I became a homemaker who volunteered at my                                              children’s school, Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. I began my employment with Aurora Public      Library in 1978 and retired after thirty years of service in 2008. My genealogy journey began with the birth of my great nephew, Sören Alexander Christensen, born in 1995. His given name of Sören is very prevalent in my paternal lineage and I desired to know more about my Danish heritage. Thus, I joined Aurora Genealogical Society of Colorado in June, 1996 and was nominated and voted to be the Vice President of Programs/Publicity on the Board two years later. This has been my position at the Board meeting table ever since, some twenty-six years. The friendships, knowledge and growth I have experienced while serving on this Board have been immeasurable. I recommend it to every member of this Society.

                             Stephen Bell – Secretary.  I have been in Colorado for about 15 years.  I moved here after                                 my time in the Navy as an Aviation Electrician.  I received a BA in Theology from PLNU in                                 San Diego and grew up in Arizona.  My genealogical research started in 2021 and I have                                   learned a lot about my family since then.  If possible, I would like to become a                                                 genealogist.  I look forward to doing my part in helping this society. 

                               Brenda Brownlee – Treasurer – I’m excited to be a part of the AGS Board. I moved from                                   the Central Coast of California four and one-half years ago and I’ve missed the                                                 camaraderie of a genealogy society; no one else understands the excitement of a                                             genealogical find! My husband and I were RVers for decades and when we retired and                                     began taking long trips to the east coast, I discovered that I had a Revolutionary War                                         ancestor. That discovery began an obsession and I now know he was one of many Patriot ancestors. Being a military child, I did not grow up around aunts, uncles and cousins so I missed out on the family stories and traditions. Genealogy has enabled me to learn amazing facts about my ancestors. It is rewarding to me that my son and grandchildren like to hear about my discoveries (although they don’t want to be researchers). When not researching I like to read historical fiction and participate in lineage societies.

 

Appointed Positions:

 

                               This could be YOU - AGS Parliamentarian - currently vacant

                                 Parliamentarian shall:

                                 a. Upon request, give advice to the presiding officer and any other Society member                                         concerning the bylaws or parliamentary procedure.

                                 b. Act as chairman of the bylaws committee when constituted.

                                 c. See that the bylaws are reviewed in the second year of the President's term or

                                 as needed.

d. Keep and have available for reference at all meetings, one book in which are kept Society bylaws and standing rules. Maintain copies based on the Records Retention and Disposition Policy.
                     
                          I’m Jeff Adams. I’ve been a member of the Aurora Genealogical Society (AGS) since                                          November 2019. I’ve been doing genealogy about 15 years. My family has lived in Aurora on                            and off since 2012. I’m originally from Texas and was in the U.S. Army from 1994 to 2018.
                          I am currently the genealogist, historian, and CCGS (Colorado Council of Genealogical                                      Societies) delegate for AGS. I was a member of the PROGEN 50 Study Group, a precursor to                            becoming a genealogist, in 2021 and hope to become a professional genealogist by the end                            of this year.

                                
                                                                             Lana Overturf, Susan Hicks, Vickie Smejkal – Newsletter                                                                                     Team – We feel being a team brings more views to our                                                                                     newsletter, with you in mind. We hope to create a                                                                                               newsletter that will be a delight to you, bring value to

                                                                             your genealogical learning experiences, share ideas that                                                                                   will enlighten you, and most of all, be fun and informative. 

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                                 Vickie Smejkal – Computer Technical Support, Webmaster, and Face Book. I have been

                                 working on my family history for over 35 years. I retired from the military after 25                                              years; and retired from the Federal Government after 33 years. I was a Medical
                                  Corpsman in the regular army, and a teacher in the army reserves teaching a career                                        course in Supply, while working concurrently for the Federal Government as a Supply                                      Tech and later a Building Management Tech, which I greatly enjoyed. I assist my              daughter, who lives with me, in raising three Special Needs children. I currently serve as a Family Search Director (now called Coordinator), which I enjoy – it keeps my fingers on the pulse of genealogy and the FamilySearch Family Tree program. We are a three generational home which includes: me, my daughter, 3 grandchildren, and three dogs, one of which is special needs himself. My hobby, when I have the time, is visiting cemeteries to take pictures and post them on Find A Grave and Billion Graves; transcribing when I get a chance as well. And yes, I am still working on my Riverside Cemetery Babies and Veterans projects– www.RiversideCemeteryDenver.Com. You can’t miss me in a parking lot, I have a bumper sticker that states: I brake for Cemeteries.

Our members bring to the society their wisdom, knowledge, and expertise in various fields, such as, military, land records, censuses, genealogical mentoring, and so much more.