Lillian Glover
Chair, Discover your Roots, a Genealogy Conference 2006-2009 Director, African American Affairs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Member, California African American Genealogical Society.

I first became interested in genealogy when I attended Roots III. It was fascinated listening to the stories and accomplishments of those who were attending for the first time as well as those who repeatedly come back. Most of the retuning attendees enjoy getting information that helps them reach further in their research than they have gotten thus far. In addition they love meeting fellow enthusiast and reuniting with people that they may not have seen in years. The conference itself is really one big family reunion!

My anticipation is that people will take away from this event an opportunity to teach and share information they’ve learned into the schools, churches, community organizations, and in the home to help unite families across the generational gaps. I believe there is a growing sense of self when one takes the time to research their family background. In some cases one may be inspired from what they have discovered and aspire to do that which they may have never occurred to do before. In other cases one may find information that may be difficult to take, the importance of which to draw from this is how they can improve the outcome of their lives by learning from the judgments of those before them. I hope that as people continue to come to this event that they endeavor to reveal not only who they descend from but also strengthen the bond to those who will descend from them.




Michael Bolingbroke
Member, Discover your Roots, A Genealogy Conference 2007-2009 Ward Mission Leader, Executive Secretary and Home Teacher for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Born in Malad City, Idaho

Education: Graduated from High School in Hastings, Nebraska. Graduate from the Brigham Young University.

Married Treena Jensen in California, raised six children. This wonderful relationship was enjoyed for 23 years.

Vocational experience has been spent in the printing industry, Salesman, Supervisor, and Business Owner.

I am pleased and happy to be associated with those who do research in this exciting arena. There is a joy and enjoyment, finding and learning about our relatives and their life stories. We will benefit for the time spent to obtain is knowledge.




Ginger Frelo-Hyde
Member, Discover your Roots, A Genealogy Conference 2007-2009 Community Relations Specialists, African American Affairs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I am a native of Los Angeles (which I have been told is quite unusual). I first became interested in genealogy 27 years ago, when I became a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Through the Church's teachings, I realized just how important it is to bind our families together in life and in death. Therefore, I began working on my four-generation chart, starting with myself, my parents, and my grandparents, and then doing research to fill in the blanks.

It became a joyful passion to discover where I came from and who my ancestors are. Through this great work of genealogy, I feel so much closer to the members of my family who have gone home to Him who gave them life, and I anticipate the day when we will all be together for a great family reunion.




Vee Gibson
Vee was born in Utah where she and her husband lived and raised five daughters, three foster children and one exchange student. She graduated from Utah State University with a teaching degree and taught school in Utah and North Carolina. After serving a mission for her church in Las Vegas, she moved to Idaho where she lived previous to coming to Los Angeles to work in the Los Angeles Regional Family History Center.

Since retiring she has spent much of her time in reading, sewing for humanitarian projects and art quilting. She has found a new love in family history and has great enthusiasm for finding her ancestors.







Ronald W. Higgins
Co-Founder and Member, Discover your Roots, A Genealogy Conference 2002-2009 President, California African American Genealogical Society.

Ronald Higgins is a native of St. Louis, Missouri.

He is currently the President, and has served as 1st Vice President and Chairperson of special projects and exhibits for CAAGS. He was one of the founders of the concept for the West Coast African American Genealogy Summit and the Roots Conferences with LDS. On several occasions he has spoken about how to begin your genealogy research.

Ronald is a Charter member of the: California African American Genealogical Society (CAAGS), Nevada African American Genealogical Society (NAAGS), San Diego African American Research Group (SDAARG), and the Pasadena Area African American Genealogy Society (PAAAGS).

Lifetime member of: African American Genealogical Society of Northern California and the San Diego African American Research Group.

Member of societies in the areas of his research: Ellis County, Genealogical Society (TX), Cape Girardeau Genealogical Society (MO), Wake County North Carolina Genealogical Society, Marshall County Tennessee Genealogical Society, and the California State Genealogical Alliance.

Surnames researching are: Daughtery, Hall, Harris, Henderson, Higgins, Hinton, Rosson, and Walker.




John Frederick "Fred" Huckvale
Advisor, Discover your Roots, A Genealogy Conference 2006-2009 Co-Director of Public Affairs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Fred Huckvale is Chief Executive Officer of Ameron Global, Inc. a global source for aerospace systems and components. Formerly, he was Chairman of the Board and President of Guerdon Holdings, Inc.

He has served on the boards of several Organizations and is past Chairman of the Board of Enterprise Mentors International, a foundation dedicated to building self-reliance through micro-business development and financing in developing countries. He is a member of the National Advisory Council of Brigham Young University and a member of the board of directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Brigham Young University Management Society.

Fred has been active in community affairs for many years and has served on the Board of Directors of the Valley Interfaith Council, as President of the Valley Interfaith Foundation and Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Alliance for the Care of Abused Children. He is an Emeritus member of the Executive Board of the Western Los Angeles Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

He is a Bishop in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and has served as President of the Canoga Park California Stake presiding over ten congregations of the church in northwestern Los Angeles. He and his wife Helen served a mission in England for the Church from 1993-1995.

Fred and Helen were born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah and now reside in Northridge, California. They have nine children and 33 grandchildren.




Robert Savage
Member, Discover your Roots, A Genealogy Conference 2009 Bishop serving the Wilshire Ward for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Robert Savage is a retired elementary school teacher, having taught grades K through 6 over a period of 17 years. He also has several years experience in small business management and international banking.

Robert served recently as bishop of the Adams Ward, Los Angeles Californioa Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He enjoys working with people, helping them to organize and to accomplish worthy goals.

New himself to family history and genealogy, he comes from a family that has been very active in these endevors for many years. He plans to pick up the tourch during his retirement years to work on family lines that contect to South America and Spain.




Dr. Darryl Sexton
Dr. Darryl Sexton has practiced medicine since 1975 and recently retired as Health Officer for the City of Long Beach, providing 27 years in public health with the last 16 years as Health Officer. Born and raised in Lawnside, N.J., Dr. Sexton is a fifth generation descendent of the Pennsylvania abolitionist and Philadelphia Station Master William Still. Many of the residents in Lawnside were and still are relatives of the famed abolitionist. The Still Family, Lawnside, N.J., and the Underground Railroad were highlighted in the July 1984 issue of the National Geographic Journal.

He received his medical training at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and while serving many years practicing medicine and as a medical and public health leader, Dr. Sexton has also been an active leader in the local community, as well as regionally and nationally. He is one of the founding members of the Long Beach African American Heritage Society, which is a co-sponsor of this conference. He has been an active board member of many non-profit organizations, and has received several medical and service awards and recognitions. He has supported many non-profit agencies and their missions, e.g. NAACP, NCNW, American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, Sarcoidosis Network Foundation, etc. He is currently serving on the boards of Retirement Housing Foundation (senior housing and health support), Children’s Dental Health Clinic and Foundation (Long Beach - Millers’ Children Hospital), Role of Men Program (Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services – outreaching to Black and other ethnic minority males), and American Cancer Society (Harbor- Long Beach-Southeast Unit).

In retirement, Dr. Sexton continues to spread the word about his family’s rich history, to promote disease prevention and awareness facing the African American community, and of course continues to hone his backyard barbecue skills.







Ron and Kaye Smith
Ron Smith - Accountant, Discover your Roots, A Genealogy Conference 2009. Missionary serving for the California Public Affairs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Kaye Smith - Public Relations, Discover your Roots, A Genealogy Conference 2009. Missionary serving for the California Public Affairs for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.







Gena Weaver
Community Resource Information Advisor and Webmaster.