A West Virginia native and former advertising creative director, Kelley Conner Lear brings twenty years of communication experience to her genealogy practice. Her research in Central Appalachia and the surrounding regions focuses on the lives of often-overlooked ancestors. Kelley is a Certified Genealogist® and a Trustee of the Board for Certification of Genealogists. She also serves as president of the Virginia Genealogical Society, where she has been a Board member since 2022. Recently, she taught in the SLIG Advanced Evidence Analysis Practicum (2025), mentored ProGen 69, and chaired APG’s Professional Development Committee, serving on its board from 2023 to 2025. Kelley has presented nationally and internationally at RootsTech and NGS and on Legacy Family Tree webinars. She holds a B.A. in Communications and is an alumna of ProGen 52, Certification Practicum 2, and GenFed. Kelley is committed to supporting high-quality genealogical work and education guided by Genealogy Standards.

June 2027 Instructor – 2027-03 Using U.S. Religious Records for Family History