Committee - The Surname Society

Role	Name		Email	About
Chair	Kirsty Gray	Committee	Send email	Read bio
Vice Chair	Vacant	Committee	Send email
Treasurer	Phillip Fanning	Committee	Send email	Read bio
Secretary	Lynda Chiotti	Committee	Send email	Read bio
Editor	Theresina Lloyd	Committee	Send email	Read bio
Editor	Melanie Harries	Committee	Send email	Read bio
Webmaster	Kai Poppe	Committee	Send email	Read bio
Membership Secretary	Mandy Blake	Postholder	Send email	Read bio
Social Networking Coordinator (Facebook)	Gary Barton	Committee	Send email	Read bio
Social Networking Coordinator (Instagram/Twitter)	Theresina Lloyd	Committee	Send email	Read bio
Marketing	Vacant	Postholder	Send email
School of Surnames	Vacant	Postholder	Send email
Assistant Webmaster	Colin Spencer	Postholder	Send email	Read bio

Should you wish to volunteer for one of the vacant Officer / Post Holder positions please contact the Secretary

Kirsty Gray
Chair

When my grandfather left the family tree, suitcase of documents and paraphernalia with my parents in 1982, as a child I remember poring over the names, photographs, newspaper cuttings and much more with great excitement. Never would they have imagined that their foundations would develop from a hobby into such an obsession for me in the future - indeed, now a professional career! Exploring my paternal ancestry, I discovered that all his forebears hailed from the West Country – in fact, more specifically, Devon – and when the rare Sillifant surname appeared twice in our family history, a surname study was born. For well over a decade, I have been collecting all documents relating to every name bearer over history across the whole world, though with a greater emphasis on the colonies as the Sillifants are not exotic travellers! As Chair of The Surname Society, I am excited about developing surname studies in the 21st century using modern technologies and encouraging young people in the field.

Phillip Fanning
Treasurer

Lynda Chiotti
Secretary

I am a retired information architect and user experience designer, but all available free time is devoted to my genealogy research, including family lines for GRADWELL, KEMBLE, PRYOR, COOPER, and SOUTHAM. Based in Ontario, Canada, I enjoy long winter nights hunting down sources and clues on the Internet.

Theresina Lloyd
Editor

About myself: I'm a born and raised Californian here in the United States. I have my degrees in Accounting and have worked in the field for 20yrs or so, unfortunately under utilizing my degrees. I started researching my family history about 10yrs ago after my mother indicated an interest in finding more about our old English families from Maryland, USA. I was also intrigued to find proof of a family story that our Scottish lineage connected to Alexander Graham Bell. I have been able to find our old English family from Maryland family and how they helped settle the state and came here in 1652. I have yet to prove the link to Alexander Graham Bell though. So far my research is pointing in the direction of no connection. But I do have a brick wall that concerns my Bell line, so anything is still possible.

Melanie Harries
Editor

My name is Melanie Harries and I have been a family historian for all my adult life, now studying for the Higher Certificate in Genealogy with the Institute of Heraldry and Genealogical Studies in Canterbury.

My expertise is primarily in Scottish, Welsh and DNA research. I am located in East London and am a regular visitor to the Society of Genealogists and my local archives in Barking & Dagenham.

Kai Poppe
Webmaster

Mandy Blake
Membership Secretary

My passion for genealogy started over twelve years ago when, as an adoptee, I traced members of my birth family, and I began a single-surname study for my maiden name of Stribling in early 2013. As well as belonging to various genealogical societies and organisations, I am Group Admin for the Devon FHS’s Facebook group. When I'm not doing something genealogy-related, I enjoy reading, technology and music. I'm married with a grown-up son.

As a Founding Member and Secretary of The Surname Society, I am looking forward to the future of both the Society and single-surname research.

Gary Barton
Social Networking Coordinator (Facebook)

Former Lieutenant USN, now retired Xerox North American Dealer Channel Director of Marketing. Thirty year genealogist and One Name Study coordinator for three different studies: BARTON (large), RICKEY (medium) and SKAIFE (small)

Theresina Lloyd
Social Networking Coordinator (Instagram/Twitter)

About myself: I'm a born and raised Californian here in the United States. I have my degrees in Accounting and have worked in the field for 20yrs or so, unfortunately under utilizing my degrees. I started researching my family history about 10yrs ago after my mother indicated an interest in finding more about our old English families from Maryland, USA. I was also intrigued to find proof of a family story that our Scottish lineage connected to Alexander Graham Bell. I have been able to find our old English family from Maryland family and how they helped settle the state and came here in 1652. I have yet to prove the link to Alexander Graham Bell though. So far my research is pointing in the direction of no connection. But I do have a brick wall that concerns my Bell line, so anything is still possible.

Colin Spencer
Assistant Webmaster

I am retired from full-time employment and live in Spain. I have been engaged in genealogical and family history research for over 30 years.

I am currently performing a surname study into my paternal grandmothers maiden name Lefever, research into the name so far has led me to families in the Caribbean, USA, Spain, Ireland and of course France and Belgium where the name originates.

As webmaster of the society I have the challenge of developing and maintaining the website.

Committee, Officers and Postholders