Board-certified Genealogist

Karen Stanbary, MA, CG, CGG

Karen Stanbary, MA, LCSW, CG®, CGG®, BCG Trustee, is an author and national lecturer on topics about the use of genetic evidence correlated with documentary evidence to solve genealogical brick walls. A Chicago local, she holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Chicago and completed advanced graduate studies in Social Anthropology at the Colegio de Michoacán, Mexico. Her genealogical practice specializes in Midwestern U.S., Chicago, and Mexican research as well as complex problem-solving, unknown parentage, and DNA analysis. She is a coordinator and faculty member two genealogical institutes: IGHR and SLIG. The National Genealogical Society honored her twice for two scholarly articles that incorporate traditional documentary research and autosomal DNA analysis in the June 2016 and June 2023 issues. She published “Drowning in DNA? The Genealogical Proof Standard Tosses a Lifeline” in Debbie Parker Wayne’s book Advanced Genetic Genealogy: Techniques and Case Studies. She holds the credentials Certified Genealogist® and Certified Genetic Genealogist® from the Board for Certification of Genealogists where she serves as a Trustee and is chair of the DNA Committee.