ACGS 2026 Hybrid Fall Conference and Annual Meeting
New Hampshire Audubon
Massabesic Center
26 Auburn Way, Auburn, NH
October 24, 2026 – 10:30 A.M. – 3:45 P.M.
Check-in starts at 9:30 A.M. with a coffee hour until the meeting begins.
Join us for the ACGS Annual Meeting and Fall Conference, offered this year in a hybrid format so you can participate in-person or online. We’re excited to bring back the energy of face‑to‑face learning while also providing a live‑streaming option for those who live too far from Manchester, NH to attend.
Our in‑person program will be held at a beautiful, accessible venue in Auburn, NH, featuring plenty of free parking and easy entry for attendees with accessiblity concerns.
Lunch Information
To keep registration costs down and ensure everyone can meet their own dietary needs, this year’s conference will be bring‑your‑own‑lunch. You’re welcome to pack whatever works best for you. ACGS will provide drinks and desserts for all attendees.
Conference Speakers:
Angela J. Harris, CG®, PLCGS
Henri Vaillancourt & Robert B. Perreault
Robert Cameron Weir
In Person $65 Members and $80 Non-Members
Online via Zoom $55 Members and $70 Non-Members
Click Here to Register for the Fall Conference Today!
Registration closes on October 10th, 2026
All Presentations will be recorded and available for paid attendees for 30 days after the conference.
Speaker Biographies and Presentation Summary
Angela Harris, CG®, PLCGS, is a board-certified professional genealogist specializing in forensic genealogy. Her work focuses on probate research, genetic genealogy, and family reconstruction and has included complex cases from New England, the Midwest, Canada, Italy, and the Netherlands. Angela holds a Professional Learning Certificate in Genealogical Studies from the National Institute of Genealogical Studies and several certificates in forensic and genetic genealogy through the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh/GRIP Genealogy Institute, the Applied Genealogy Institute, and Ramapo College Center for Investigative Genetic Genealogy. Angela serves as Secretary for the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and the APG Forensic Special Interest Group and is a Director-at-Large of New Hampshire Society of Genealogists.
Dirt, Deeds, & DNA: An Overview of Forensic Genealogy
Barely a day goes by in the news without a story describing how a cold case was solved using DNA evidence. Serial killers and human remains have been identified through this innovative technology, and these cases are often what spring to mind when people think of forensic genealogy. While DNA analysis is an exciting and game-changing addition to the investigative arsenal, the field of forensic genealogy encompasses a surprisingly broad scope of practice, including probate, real estate, and other situations with legal implications. Join Certified Genealogist® Angela Harris as she pulls back the curtain on this little-known yet fascinating specialty.
Robert B. Perreault has worked as a research assistant/oral history interviewer, librarian/archivist, freelance writer, historical tour guide, public speaker, photographer, and conversational French teacher to promote Manchester’s history and New England’s Franco-American culture since 1973. His works of nonfiction and fiction, written in French, in English or in both languages, include seven books and more than 150 articles, essays, and short stories published in the US, Canada and France. Perreault holds an MA in French with specialization in New England Franco-American studies from Rhode Island College and an MFA in Creative Writing/Fiction from SNHU. In June 2012, Manchester’s Centre Franco-American named him “Franco-American of the Year.”
Henri Vaillancourt is from Greenville, NH, a formerly francophone-majority community of Québécois and Acadians, and a fluent speaker of his maternal French-Canadian dialect. Greenville’s rural, land-forest-based orientation – where hunting, fishing, farming, lumbering were prominent – strongly influenced his life’s passions. A strong interest in indigenous material culture led to a pastime of building birchbark canoes and – following a time in UNH forestry programs – evolved into self-employment.
French Canadian Expressions with Henri Vaillancourt and Robert Perreault
French Canadian expressions embody much of the humor, color and history of a people rooted to the land, the environment , and the basics of daily life. Join us for a presentation of sharing these phrases that give life to an inherently rich dialect.
Native French speakers Robert Perreault and Henri Vaillancourt will introduce the attendees to the expressions they have known and encourage participants to share what they have heard in their households as French Canadians of Québécois and Acadian origin.
Robert Cameron Weir is a genealogical researcher, educator, and author who lives in Dover, New Hampshire. He specializes in hard problems related to New England genealogy, from 1620 to the present. He is a member of the Association for Professional Genealogy and is Vice President and Publications Director for the New Hampshire Society of Genealogists.
Artificial Intelligence for Genealogists: The Best of What’s Available Today
Step into the future of genealogy with a discussion and demonstration of today’s most powerful AI tools: ChatGPT, NotebookLM, Perplexity, and Transkribus. In this session, you’ll discover how each of these cutting-edge technologies can elevate your research by enhancing productivity, providing historical insights, decoding handwritten documents, and much more. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced researcher, this session will equip you with the AI resources to push your family history research further than ever before.
Schedule of Events
Saturday, October 24th, 2026
Program
9:30 A.M. Attendees Check-In and Coffee Hour (in-person)
10:30 A.M. Annual Meeting
Welcome & President’s Report – Jo Zurwell
Treasurer Report – Rob Fosher
Election Results for Board of Directors – Ed Lamarine
Volunteer of the Year Award – Jo Zurwell
Annual Meeting and Reports listed in the provided program
11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Angela J. Harris, CG®, PLCGS
Dirt, Deeds, & DNA: An Overview of Forensic Genealogy
12:00 P.M. – 1:15 P.M. Lunch – Bring Your Own Lunch, ACGS will supply the desserts
1:15 P.M. – 2:15 P.M. Henri Vaillancourt & Robert B. Perreault
French Canadian Expressions with Henri Vaillancourt and Robert Perreault
2:45 P.M. – 3:45 P.M. Robert Cameron Weir
Artificial Intelligence for Genealogists: The Best of What’s Available Today
