Laura serves as DNAngels’ Executive Director. She has more than a decade of experience in the high-paced world of Corporate Sales Management, where she won multiple awards for performance and technique. Laura also served in the healthcare industry, responsible for records management, intake, patient coverage and eligibility and research and data collection. Her professional experience and Business Management education prepared her for the demands of an organization that she has seen grow and evolve from a labor of love venture co-founded with several individuals whose cases she had helped solve in February 2019 to a full-fledged 501(c)(3) non-profit that solved 697 cases in 2020 alone. In her role as Executive Director, she coordinates interdepartmental projects and continues to solve a staggering number of cases in her role as Lead Genetic Genealogist. Laura oversees and assigns casework to an Angels Team, and has been part of a team developing our training and mentorship programs. Laura is also a member of National Genealogical Society, NGS, and International Society of Genetic Genealogy, ISOGG. She has taken multiple certificate courses through National Genealogy Society and attended numerous webinars and workshops. She attended the RootsTech conference in 2020, and will be attending their future events.
Laura’s interest in genealogy began with a family history book started by her Aunt. When Laura decided to create a family history book for her grandchildren, she took a DNA test, and found a surprise. Building upon her past experiences with genealogy, Laura quickly learned how to read DNA matches to determine probable relationships. She began creating mirror trees, reading centimorgans and recognizing anomalies in data. Within two weeks, she was able to determine the identity of her biological father.
Laura’s personal journey has provided her with insight into the unique emotional needs of Not Parent Expected (NPE), adoptee, and donor conceived individuals, along with the skills required to find answers. Since many people who uncover this information lack a strong support network, Laura has made it a personal mission to help others navigate their newfound knowledge and find answers and closure.
