An all-day event that featured:
- VIDEO OF ALL PRESENTATIONS AND THE PANEL WILL BE AVAILABLE IN APRIL
- Tables from over 30 Southeastern Louisiana genealogical, preservation, historical, and cultural organizations
- Four presentations by local experts
- A panel discussion by a diverse group of local researchers and record keepers
- A BOOKSALE focusing on used genealogy books from the Friends of New Orleans Public Library
With our inaugural GenFest in 2024, the City Archives brought together southeastern Louisiana genealogical, preservation, historical, and cultural organizations to share their mission and story with festival attendees and each other.
We are proud to have featured four professional presenters covering topics of genetic genealogy, family preservation, and historic cemeteries; a Friends of the New Orleans Public Library Book Sale; and a panel of organizations and researchers moderated by Gaynell Brady of Our Mammy’s.
This event was sponsored by the Friends of New Orleans Public Library
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About the Presenter Dr. Boissiere holds degrees in Biology from Xavier University of Louisiana (B.S.), and from Tulane University (M.S. and Ph.D.). Dr. Boissiere has been a faculty member at Xavier University since January 1994, where she is the Head of the Biology Department. Michelle is a lifelong resident of New Orleans, whose family has been in the area for eight generations. She is a devout Catholic and was awarded the Order of St. Louis Medallion by the Archdiocese of New Orleans for excellence in community service.
About the Presenter A genealogist, local historian, author, filmmaker, and community activist, Harrell’s genealogy research has been featured in national and international media. She was featured on VICE with a documentary entitled “Slavery Detective of the South”. Harrell was appointed Honorary Assistant Attorney General in 2003 for the State of Louisiana for her genealogy research. Collections have been established in her name at the Amistad Research Center in New Orleans, La., and the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies.
About the Presenter Emily Ford is a cemetery preservationist, monumental mason, and writer of New Orleans cemetery history. She has worked in New Orleans cemeteries since 2011 and wrote her graduate thesis on historic craft in Lafayette Cemetery No. 1. Ms. Ford’s work focuses on empowering cemetery stakeholders in the care and preservation of their property. As Cemeteries Superintendent for the City of New Orleans, she has served hundreds of families in locating burial places, re-uniting with cemetery property, and connecting with cultural heritage.
About the Presenter Heather Veneziano’s research and expertise are focused on cultural heritage sites, vernacular architecture and deathscapes, with a strong emphasis on historic preservation and placemaking. She has studied and documented socio-economic issues impacting burial practices and how inequities in life shape selective and collective memory after death. Her work also explores the narrative structure of place and how the built environment informs our understanding of the past. Her genealogical work is centered on cemetery studies through archival research and digital mapping.
Gaynell Brady, Moderator
Educator and Historian
Our Mammy’s
Ja’el “Ya Ya” Gordon
Historian, Writer, and Genealogist
AAHGS Louisiana and the Bonnet Carre Historical Society
Winston Ho 何嶸
Independent Historian
Researching Chinese American History in New Orleans
Kenneth Hoffman
Executive Director
Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience
William de Marigny Hyland
Director
Los Isleños Museum Complex
Mrs. Kathryn Coleman Labat
Louisiana Creole Research Association
(LA Creole)
Frank Perez
Executive Director
LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana
Jay Schexnaydre
President
German-Acadian Coast Historical & Genealogical Society
Katy Morlas Shannon
Historian, Author, Genealogist
Shannon Historical Consulting, LLC
Katherine Vest
Director
Archdiocese of New Orleans Office of Archives and Records
Our Participating Organizations:
Louisiana Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society
Archdiocese of New Orleans
Archives and Records
Asian Pacific American Society
Jack Belsom
BB’s Genealogy and Educational Services, LLC
Bonnet Carré Historical Society
Congregazione di San Bartolomeo Apostolo
Diocese of Baton Rouge
Archives & Records Center
Genealogical Research
Society of New Orleans
German-Acadian Coast Historical & Genealogical Society
German-American Cultural Center and Museum
Les Guédry et Petitpas d’Asteur
Hermann-Grima + Gallier Historic Houses
New Orleans Hispanic Heritage Foundation
The Historic New Orleans Collection
Los Isleños Heritage and
Cultural Society of St. Bernard
Jefferson Genealogical Society
Jefferson Parish Library
Special Collections
LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana
Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Gene Team
The Louisiana Creole Research Association (LA Creole)
Le Comité des Archives
de la Louisiane
Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities | 64 Parishes Magazine
Louisiana Landmarks Society
Pitot House Museum
Midlo Center for
New Orleans Studies at UNO
Museum of the Southern
Jewish Experience
Nikki Caruso
Crescent City Stations
Researching Chinese American History in New Orleans
People Program NOLA- Genealogy Classes
Plaquemines Historical Association
Preservation Resource Center
of New Orleans
Shannon Historical
Consulting, LLC
Spirit of ’76 Chapter
Daughters of the American Revolution
St. Tammany
Genealogical Society
Barbara Trevigne
Cemonia Strother Williams Library and Research Center
Language & Culture Revitalization Program(LCRP)
Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana
Schedule of Events:
All Day | Organization Info Tables
10:30-11:15 | Genetics for the Genealogist
11:30-12:15 | Collecting and Preserving Images
1:00-1:45 | Panel Discussion: Considering Legacy
2:00-2:45 | Girod Cemetery: History and Records
3:00-3:45 | Exploring the New Orleans Cemetery Database