Election of MGS Executive Board
2026 Slate of Candidates
 
OFFICERS
 
President: Druscilla Null
Druscilla “Dru” Null, a native Marylander, has been researching her ancestors from Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York for 40-plus years. Dru is the current President and Webmaster of the Maryland Genealogical Society and has been a member of the society’s Board of Directors since 2006. She has served as President four times and once as Vice President. She has contributed articles to the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal on several topics, including German and Italian immigrants to Baltimore and the genealogy of Babe Ruth. Dru completed the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy course “Maryland: Researching in the Old Line State,” graduated with honors from the National Genealogical Society Home Study Course, and completed the National Institute on Genealogical Research (now known as the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records). Professionally, Dru recently retired as Director of the Office of Policy and Legislative Affairs at the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. She has BA and MA degrees in history (with a concentration in historic preservation) from Goucher College and George Washington University.
 
Vice President: Sandy Quick
Sandy is a Baltimore native whose immigrant ancestors all landed at the Port of Baltimore – one of whom brought along a camera in the 1840s. Influenced by her grandfather’s collection of old family photos, (as well as trips to Fort McHenry, the Maryland Historical Society, and the State Archives), Sandy began her genealogy journey during her teenage years. Today, she is focused on preserving and sharing her discoveries in writing and via YouTube videos. Beyond her own research interests, Sandy is an advocate for the accuracy and accessibility of primary sources. From transcribing for the National Archives to hiking off-trail adding GPS coordinates to Civil War battle maps, Sandy is passionate about preserving facts and obliterating pervasive errors.  In her “day job,” Sandy is a Vice President with Leidos Corporation, supporting its Intelligence business. She earned her BA from the University of Maryland, College Park, and her law degree from the University of Baltimore. She is also a member of the American Battlefield Trust and the National Parks Foundation, among many other preservation and history-related organizations.
 
Treasurer: Allender Sybert
Allender Sybert has been active in genealogical research and in the Maryland Genealogical Society for many years. He has served as a member of the By-Laws, Programs, Publications and Website committees, and is Book Review Editor of the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal. He was the Society’s President from 2011 to 2013. Currently he is the Treasurer and Registrar. He is a Fellow of the Maryland Genealogical Society. 
 
Recording Secretary: Ellen Ward
Ellen Ward was raised in Baltimore County, Maryland, and has lived in York County, Pennsylvania, for the past ten years. She is a graduate of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland, earning a degree in Computer Information Systems. She retired after nearly 30 years with the Baltimore County Public Library, having served in branch locations and the Information Services and Technology Support offices in Towson, Maryland. Ellen has been researching her personal family history for more than 25 years, with a focus on Maryland, Delaware, and the British Isles, including family lines established in the region as early as the late 1600s. She is a graduate of ProGen, a rigorous nineteen-month professional development program based on the text Professional Genealogy. She has served the Maryland Genealogical Society in several capacities, including Board Member-at-Large and, for the past several years, as Recording Secretary. She also currently serves as editor of the society's digital newsletter, MGS News. Ellen is a member of the National Genealogical Society and several local genealogical organizations. She regularly attends national and local genealogy conferences and workshops, including many years at the GRIP Genealogy Institute in Pittsburgh. Ellen stays current in the field through podcasts, webinars, and a wide range of genealogical publications. Ellen has a particular interest in the use of DNA analysis and artificial intelligence as complements to traditional research methods.
 
AT-LARGE BOARD MEMBERS
 
Jaclyn Fox
Jackie Fox has been the managing editor of the MGS Journal since 2019. She has had a long career in journal publishing, having worked as a copyeditor, managing editor, and publications director for several nonprofit professional associations in the Washington, DC, area. She was director of the US journals program for Oxford University Press for seven years. She was publications director for the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and served as managing editor of their journal for 17 years. In addition to her publications experience, Jackie has spent several decades researching her own family in the Baltimore area, New England, and Wales.
 
Debra A. Hoffman
Debra A. Hoffman, professional genealogist, author, and lecturer, specializes in Maryland and German research. She has a certificate in Family History from Brigham Young University and a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies (PLCGS)-German Records from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies. She coordinated “Maryland: Researching in the Old Line State” at the Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG) in 2020 and co-authored NGS’ latest Research in the States Series: Maryland, released in 2021. She served as MGS vice-president for two years, currently serves as an At-Large Board Member and is also Secretary for the Mid-Atlantic Germanic Society. She is the principal of Hoffman Genealogical Services.
 
Tom McCarriar
A native of Maryland and a Navy veteran, Tom McCarriar has BS and MS degrees in Math from Duke University and Johns Hopkins University. He retired in 2015 from the Department of Defense after a 40-year career. Tom began his family research more than 25 years ago and has traced his McCarragher ancestors (through several alternate spellings) from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland to New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and finally its arrival in Baltimore in 1830. After retiring, Tom expanded his research to include genetic genealogy. He has taught a variety of genetic and traditional genealogy courses at Howard Community College, Anne Arundel County libraries, and other genealogical organizations. He provides advice on DNA testing strategies, interpreting results, and working with DNA matches to anyone interested in learning more about their genetic roots. Tom is a member of the National Genealogical Society, and a past president of the Anne Arundel Genealogical Society, where he moderates a DNA Special Interest Group. He has served the past thirteen years as an At-Large Member of the Executive Board of the Maryland Genealogical Society and is the MGS delegate to the National Genealogical Society.
 
Janelle Bartlett Mummey
Janelle Bartlett Mummey has served on the MGS Board for many years and is a member of several county societies and other State associations. She grew up in the Midwest but moved to Maryland in 2001. Her grandparents were originally from Baltimore and have many ancestors and relatives across the State and the District of Columbia.  Some of the Maryland family names she researches are Bartlett, Murphy, Michael, and Mobley.  Her 3rd GGF Cipriano Ferrandini is infamous among historians for his alleged involvement in the "Baltimore Plot."  She works in local government. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Drake University in Iowa and has a master's degree from both the University of Baltimore and the University of Maryland. Her other interests besides genealogy include reading, history, volunteering for a Beagle Rescue, donating blood, and following sports. She acquired her interest in genealogy from her paternal grandfather and has been hooked ever since.
 
Anthony Nardo, Jr.
Anthony Nardo, Jr. (Tony) is a Baltimore native and a second-generation Sicilian by descent from all four of his grandparents.  He is currently a software engineer at the Johns Hopkins University / Applied Physics Laboratory. Tony's interest in genealogy was sparked in 2014 when a friend working in Germany sent him a photo of a Luxembourg monument for 2nd Lt. Anthony C. Nardo of Maryland and asked, "Is this a relation?" (He is a first cousin once removed and part of a long-sundered family branch.) His late wife, Teresa Masser Nardo, was a Frederick native whose maternal line dates back to Maryland's colonial period. Teresa also developed an interest in family history and encouraged Tony's research into both of their families. Tony has had several articles published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal, three of which are the products of the above family research. He has also developed and shared "road maps" on the FamilySearch Research Wiki which aid in traversing the handwritten birth, marriage and death indexes that are interwoven into the records for several Sicilian towns. Finally, he provided a short contribution to Sam Drago's self-published family history book, "Maria, Sell Even the Broom!" (2022) regarding the Papa/Parigi side of the Drago family.
 
Heather O’Hara
Heather O’Hara, a Maryland native, has been researching her family’s history for twenty-five years focusing on Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania as well as Ireland, Germany, and Ukraine/Belarus. She is a Past President of the Maryland Genealogical Society and also previously served as its Vice President. Heather was also Vice President of the Anne Arundel Genealogical Society and is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), the National Genealogical Society (NGS), and numerous county and ethnic genealogical societies.  She has taken several courses with NGS and NIGS and has participated in study groups focused on Thomas Jones’ books Mastering Genealogical Proof and Mastering Genealogical Documentation. Her genealogical interests include DNA analysis, mapping and location-based research, and travel. She has made three visits to Northern Ireland to continue research on her grandmother’s ancestry and is traveling there again in June. She has given several MGS presentations on the topics of research techniques, using maps, and Irish research.
 
David A. Powell
David Powell has been researching his own family history for over 25 years.  Dave is the current president of the Baltimore County Genealogical Society. He is also a member of the Maryland Genealogical Society and a member of its Board of Directors.  Dave serves as the treasurer of the Carroll County Genealogical Society. Dave teaches genealogy courses at the Community College of Baltimore County and at local senior centers, libraries and genealogy societies. He has given numerous talks on genealogy, DNA, and foreign research throughout Maryland.  He has done extensive research for himself and clients with family trees from France, Scotland, Wales, England, Canada, Poland, the United States and other countries. Mr. Powell retired as Vice President and Chief Information Officer for AAI Corporation (now Textron Systems) in 2007. He holds a BA degree in Economics and a master’s degree in Information Management.  He has been active in various boards and forums in the Mid-Atlantic region for information systems curriculum development and Information Technology networking and eCommerce.
 
Shawna Sherrell
Shawna Sherrell became interested in genealogy as a teenager after learning one of her ancestors died in a bar fight. There were not many stories passed down on either side of her family, so she went in search of them. Professionally, she specializes in early nineteenth century research in Maryland and Pennsylvania. She holds a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University’s Center for Professional Education, completed ProGen Study Groups, and is a member of the Association of Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society, and serves as an at-large board member for the Maryland Genealogical Society. She has attended several institutes including the Genealogical Institute on Federal Records, and completed additional education in genetic genealogy, methodology, and African American research. Her background includes over sixteen years of experience in communications and marketing in both the corporate and higher education fields. For ten years she worked on an award-winning marketing team and specialized in social media marketing, professional photography, and writing. She currently works and volunteers in the field of genealogy.
 
John Siemon
John Siemon has been on the Maryland Genealogical Society Executive Board since 2008, and was MGS President from 2013-2015, 2017-2019, and 2021-2023. John has been researching his own family history since 1997. His special interests are maps, the Civil War, and Baltimore history and genealogy, including tracing his roots in Ireland, France, and Germany. All his family lines have been in Baltimore since 1865, and he has collected many references for researching Baltimore genealogy. He has written articles for the Maryland Genealogical Society Journal and MGS News and regularly answers genealogy queries in social media groups.
 
Bridget M. Sunderlin, CG®
Bridget M. Sunderlin has been conducting genealogical research since 1974. She holds a BFA in Graphic Design from Maryland Institute, College of Art, an MAT in Art Education from Notre Dame of Maryland University, and certificates in leadership in technology integration and instruction systems development from Johns Hopkins University and UMBC, respectively.  Bridget worked as a graphic designer for over 20 years, and as an art teacher for over 17 years. Her teaching career culminated as the Department Chair of Art, Music and Technology at Franklin Middle School, in Baltimore County, Maryland. Always enthusiastic about learning, Bridget has taken several courses at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP). She was co-leader of the ProGen 46 cohort, a program driven by self-learning and peer-review. In 2020, she became a board-certified genealogist. Her genealogical areas of expertise include Ireland, Scotland, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. She has conducted a wide range of client work including background research for authors, dual-citizenship applications, DNA research to solve unknown parent cases, and repository research for Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. She has also published articles in the Family History Daily and Maryland Genealogical Society Journal. Her volunteer work has included indexing for the FamilySearch Digitization Project at the Maryland State Archives in Annapolis, and contributions to the Find A Grave website.