CSG 2011 - 2012 Officers & Board of Governors

President — Edwin W. Strickland II, Vice President — Richard C. Roberts, Secretary — Margaret H. Limbacher, FSA Scot, Treasurer — Carol Whitmer, Assistant Treasurer — Diane LeMay

At Large Governors —
Elizabeth Abbe, Judith A. Bowen, Francis J. Hewitt, James H. Leatherbee, Noreen Manzella, Donald A. Naples, Olivia Patch, Gail B. Richmond, Richard G. Tomlinson, Lisa M. Vasas

Governor Emeritus —
Frederick T. Strong

	Edwin W. Strickland II — President Ed came from a family of packrats on one side and a family of true Yankees of the other (use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without). In 1973 he was searching for a unique wedding present for his brother that could not be returned. He settled on copying his grandmother's information on his paternal line. In short order, two great aunts supplied material on five more ancestral lines. As they say, the Hunt was a Foote! He joined CSG in 1974 and began working on the other female lines. In 1983, he served on the committee to establish The Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor, where he has continued as genealogist for 16 years and is a past president. With his retirement from the University of Connecticut Health Center in 2000, he has turned his attention to editing, teaching, lecturing and serving the greater genealogical community.
	Richard C. Roberts — Vice President Richard Clarke Roberts is the former Unit Head of the Connecticut State Library's History and Genealogy Unit. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut and holds masters degrees from the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island. He is a board member of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, and a member of the Connecticut Professional Genealogists Council, the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists, the New England Historic Genealogical Society, and the Association for Gravestone Studies. He is currently president of the Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor and Vice President of the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium, Inc. He is co-chair of the 2011 New England Regional Genealogical Conference.
	Margaret H. Limbacher, FSA Scot — Secretary Peg began her hunt for her Scottish ancestors in 1975 while on a trip to Scotland where her mother was born. After meeting a couple of elderly great aunts, it dawned on Peg (who is an only child, only grandchild on both sides and an only niece) that she must have some relatives in Scotland, who were just waiting to be found. She has found several cousins in Scotland, including one who is a genealogist. As to her German side, she has yet to make the break-through on the birth of her great-grandfather in New York City, but she has re-united with cousins on the West Coast who are working on the same line, so hope continues. Peg has taken a number of genealogy courses, including a one-week course at the University of Stirling in Scotland on "Researching your Scottish Ancestors." Peg is an active member of numerous genealogy organizations and the St. Andrew's Society of CT.
	Carol Whitmer — Treasurer Carol R. Whitmer is a professional genealogist and researcher. An active researcher, she also lectures on various genealogical topics including New England genealogy resources and genealogical resources which are available electronically. She is currently member of the Board of Governors and the Assistant Treasurer of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc. She is also a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists and a Trustee of the Connecticut Historical Society.
	Diane LeMay — Assistant Treasurer Diane began working in the public library during high school, got her bachelors and masters degrees in library science and made it her profession. She recently retired after 36 years as a high school library media specialist, including some part-time work at the Connecticut State Library and St. Joseph's College library. She has enjoyed researching her family genealogy since 1979 and was on the CSG Board of Governors briefly in the 1980s. She resided in East Hartford for 26 years, moving to East Windsor in 2001 where she lives with her dog Charlie.
	Elizabeth Abbe — At Large Governor Elizabeth Abbe is the director of public outreach at the Connecticut Historical Society in Hartford. Elizabeth began her career as a librarian at the Connecticut Historical Society where in 1984 she wrote "Connecticut Genealogical Research: Sources and Suggestions" for NEHGS's compilation on Genealogical Research in New England. Elizabeth then branched out into continuing education at Albertus Magnus College, marketing work at Travelers, and development at the Bushnell Center of Performing Arts and the University of Hartford before returning to the Connecticut Historical Society. The Connecticut Historical Society's mission is to inspire and foster a life-long interest in history and its genealogical collections continue to attract researchers from all over the country.
	Judith A. Bowen — At Large Governor Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Judith has resided also in Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts (twice), Connecticut (thrice), Ohio and Kentucky. She is a graduate of Mount Mary College (BA), the University of Toronto (MA) and the University of Kentucky (MSLS). She retired from Trinity College where she managed advancement services in the Office of Advancement (fund raising and alumni). She was introduced to genealogy in 1976 while researching the history of her antique house. In the same year she received many family documents, photos and memorabilia of (mostly) New England ancestors. On and off, while raising her three children and moving household about the country, she pursued family history, especially in Wisconsin. In 1984, she joined NEHGS and began in earnest to research her New England roots. She joined CSG in 1997. Her direct ancestors from Connecticut are Claudius Stannard, born at Suffield in 1764, and his forebears.
	Francis J. Hewitt — At Large Governor Bud has lived in the Lordship section of Stratford since age four. He has been a member of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists for over 10 years as well as other genealogical societies. His interest in genealogy started many years ago trying to document an old family story of a civil war ancestor who died at Gettysburg but serious research did not begin until the 1990s. Many other ancestors were discovered before he was finally able to verify only recently the ancestor really was a hero as claimed in the story. He and his wife, Kate, who shares his genealogical interest, have ancestors from England, Ireland, Nova Scotia, Quebec, France and Germany, some coming as early as the 1630s and others as late as the 1880s. He is a retired senior chemist from the plastics industry and continues to serve the industry as an officer and member of several consensus standards organizations principally ASTM International and SAE. He also serves in several volunteer capacities at Our Lady of Peace Church in Stratford. However his and Kate's principal occupation, avocation and source of joy are providing day care for their four grandchildren four days a week - but usually only two kids at a time.
	James H. Leatherbee — At Large Governor Jim was born in New London, CT, probably imprinted from birth with history and genealogy, but actually started doing genealogy in the late 1970s. He is named after his grandfather and a long line of first-born males named James dating to the mid 1700s. The family name, Leatherbee, is listed by James Savage in "Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England" as a "perverted" form of Larrabee, and indeed goes directly back to Stephen (1625-1676) of that name. Jim was raised in Hadlyme, where he still lives - the 10th generation in the immediate area. His areas of research are primarily New London and Middlesex Counties and the Connecticut River Valley. Jim's roots include much "Yankee", including "Mayflower", Irish, German, and even an "Indian Princess." He also has an interest in cemeteries. Jim spent many years in the printing industry, but is now employed by the United States Census Bureau.
	Noreen Manzella — At Large Governor Over 15 years of searching Noreen's varied ethnic ancestry evolved into experience in research from pre-Revolutionary Pennsylvania to 19th century Little Italy in New York City. Other family research includes 19th century German railroaders and famine Irish quarrymen in NY. Her research has led to expertise in identifying, locating, and establishing contact with 20th century descendants of ancestors, a skill she has employed for clients. Noreen authored an article detailing the methods she used to establish contact and visit family still living in her ancestral commune near Genoa, Italy, which was published in Communes of Italy magazine (January 2007). She has successfully employed the same methodology for several colleagues. A 35-year career teaching grammar, research and writing on the secondary level laid the foundation for Noreen's interest in helping others write a personal memoir. Noreen is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists: membership chair, New England chapter; NGS; Mary Clapp Wooster Chapter DAR; Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America; West Shore Lodge 2832; and several historical societies.
	Donald A. Naples — At Large Governor Don completed a 30-year career in 1990 as a U.S. Coast Guard officer, specializing in electronics engineering and information systems. Since then he managed the Communications Department of a large County in California, was co-owner of a computer business in Newington, and works independently as a computer and telecommunications consultant. He has pursued genealogy as a hobby for many years and enjoys helping others get started in ancestry searches. Don is a Connecticut native, born and raised in New Britain, where his Italian and Irish ancestors settled in the mid-to-late 1800s. He is a long-time member of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists. He was elected to the CSG Board of Governors in 2004. His extensive, practical computer experience has been very valuable in assisting with technology planning and implementation for the Society.
	Olivia Patch — At Large Governor Olivia is a retired grade school teacher with an extensive background in the field of education, including a masters in reading and elementary education. Born in Hartford, CT, and raised in Manchester, CT, she has also lived in Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, and New York. Olivia now resides in Tolland, CT, where she has made her home for more than two decades. A seasoned researcher, Olivia has more than 35 years of genealogical experience and is familiar with repositories in CT, MA, VT, and RI. She has conducted research professionally, written articles for genealogy periodicals, and has also shared her experience through speaking engagements. In addition to her participation at CSG, Olivia is also recording secretary and registrar for the Descendants of the Founders of Ancient Windsor (DFAW).
	Gail B. Richmond — At Large Governor Gail was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She and her husband and three children moved to Connecticut in 1976 and raised their children here. Gail graduated from Brooklyn College and later Eastern Connecticut State University. She subsequently earned two graduate degrees from Central Connecticut State University in the field of education and administration. Gail worked for many years in special education and later administration. After retiring ten years ago she began to pursue her interest in Genealogy and has been researching ever since. Gail attends many genealogy seminars in the New York and Massachusetts areas as well as in Connecticut.
	Richard G. Tomlinson — At Large Governor Dick is a descendant of Henry Tomlinson, an early settler of Milford and Stratford, and is related to CT Gov. Gideon Tomlinson. Interested in family history for over 40 years, he is a founder of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, Inc. and has served as an officer or governor nearly continuously. He is the creator of the CSG Literary Awards and Connecticut Genealogy News and has published several books including, "Witchcraft Trials of Connecticut". He is a former vice president of United Technologies Corporation and a former senior principal scientist in the UTC Research Labs. In 1985 he founded the Connecticut Research, Inc., a management-consulting firm. He holds a PhD from the Ohio State University, an MS from Case-Western Reserve University and an MBA from RPI.
	Lisa M. Vasas — At Large Governor Born and raised in Bridgeport, Lisa spent ten years in the computer industry first as a programmer and later as a database administrator before getting the chance to pursue an interest in genealogy that was sparked by a college anthropology class. Her research has taken her from various cities in Connecticut to Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, French Canada and records of the former Austria-Hungary Empire with the promise of Galicia, Poland, Russia and Albania yet to come. In addition to her CSG board and committee positions, Lisa served as liaison for the New England Regional Genealogical Conferences (NERGC) in Portland, Hartford and Manchester. For the Hartford and Manchester conferences, Lisa was responsible for producing the written syllabus given to attendees.
	Frederick T. Strong — Governor Emeritus Frederick T. Strong passed away on 6 July 2010. He was a member of the Board of Governor's from 1976 to 2010. He was the 6th President of the Society. He was actively involved in genealogy since the early 60's and was a member of many hereditary organizations including the Mayflower Society, where he was a past Governor of the Connecticut Society, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Descendants and Founders of Ancient Windsor, the Society of the Cincinnati, the Founders and Patriots Society, the Strong Family Association, and the Hotchkiss Family Association of which he was the treasurer for many years. He was the first Historian for the town of Woodbury having been appointed in 1988 when the program started in the state of Connecticut. Frederick was active in North Congregational Church in Woodbury and served as their historian for many years. He was a member of The Woodbury Cemetery Association for 60 years, the last 50 of which he was the President. He was also the co-author of 3 books including Homes of Old Woodbury written in 1959 in conjunction with the 300th anniversary of the founding of Woodbury.