MY PORTFOLIO

          Greetings! I am Virginia Nichols Mitchell, and I am a professional genealogist and historian. My experiences in the field of genealogy began at the age of fifteen years old, listening to my grandmother tell stories about her family and asking a multitude of questions about what she knew. Since then, I have spent hours researching, writing, and working in the field of genealogy, and obtaining the education that allows my abilities to grow, both in research and in writing.

 

          I began my professional career as a genealogist in 1997 as the County Coordinator for the U.S. GenWeb, an online genealogy project that required both knowledge of genealogy research and web design. I held that position until 1999, when I resigned to become the Kentucky State Coordinator for the U.S. Genealogy and Surname Exchange, also known as the U.S. GenExchange. There, I managed the genealogical files for the state of Kentucky, as well as any counties that did not have coordinators. Part of my duties with this organization also included finding county coordinators for the 120 Kentucky Counties, merging duplicated files, and database administration. I served in this position until 2005, when the organization folded due to lack of funding. Since then, I have worked as a professional genealogist providing research for various clientele and I returned to college in order to supplement my work with historical background knowledge.

 

          I graduated from Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington, Kentucky in 2007 with an Associate in Arts with High Distinction, and from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Kentucky in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in History and Political Science, Cum Laude. I received my Master’s Degree in Public History from American Public University in Charles Town, West Virginia in 2014, again, with honors. I also received a commission as a Kentucky Colonel in 2004 for outstanding dedication to the preservation of Kentucky’s biological history as the result of my work with a cemetery preservation database.

 

          In 2012, I began a public history project called Rootlines, Inc., that focuses on proper documentation for genealogical research. This project stemmed from the need for accurate research and documentation provided free of cost to the public, given the current economic state and the desire for knowledge of family lineage. Rootlines will also seek to standardize the citation format being used by professionals and hobbyists when referring to a source, as current standards are lacking in certain areas. Rootlines is open to the public and can be visited at www.rootlines.net. 

 

          Within this portfolio, you will find samples of my work as both a professional genealogist and a historian. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly, including requests for references. Thank you for your interest in my work as a genealogist and a historian!