UGA Summit of Excellence 2025 Recap: A Fantastic Three Days of Genealogical Learning

Summit of Excellence 2025 – Utah Genealogical Association’s annual virtual genealogy conference

The Utah Genealogical Association’s (UGA) Summit of Excellence 2025 has just wrapped up, and what a wonderful three days it was! From September 4–6, I had the privilege of both presenting and attending this annual virtual conference that continues to be one of the premier events in genealogy education.

Day 1: Getting Started Day

This year’s conference began with the traditional Getting Started day—free to all attendees. I was honored to give my presentation, Writing and Publishing Your Family History: A Beginner’s Guide. It was a joy to share strategies for preserving and publishing family stories, especially with those just starting out on their genealogy journey.

Since I had the day off for my presentation, I was able to enjoy all of the other beginner-focused sessions as well. With six in total, it was a full day of learning and inspiration to kick off the conference.

Day 2: Diving Into Genealogy

Friday, September 5th, was structured differently from past years. Instead of themed tracks (such as DNA, records, or methodology), the conference offered a wide range of topics without specific organization. There were six time slots, each with two courses, giving attendees twelve sessions to choose from. Since I worked most of the day, I could only catch the final session live—but I look forward to diving into the recordings soon!

Day 3: A Full Day of Learning

On Saturday, September 6th, I was able to attend the conference all day. Just like Friday, there were twelve sessions spread across six time slots, and it was tough having to choose between excellent offerings. Thankfully, all sessions were recorded and will be available to registrants until December 31, 2025, so nothing is truly missed.

One of the highlights of the day was the keynote address by Peggy Lauritzen, whose warmth, insight, and storytelling made for a memorable keynote session.

My Favorite Sessions (So Far!)

While every session I attended offered something valuable, a few especially stood out for me:

• The Census Survey: The First Step in Your Research by Janice M. Sellers
  This session was well-organized, practical, and packed with tips that made me look at census research in fresh ways.
• Squeezing All the Facts Out of Your DNA Matches by Kate Penney Howard
  This one was particularly enjoyable because her method mirrored my own. It was an excellent presentation—well-organized, clear, and memorable—with helpful analogies and polished slides.
• Unlocking Family History: Researching Courthouse Records for Genealogical Discoveries by Larry W. Thomas
  I almost skipped this one based on past experiences with courthouse record presentations, which can sometimes feel dry. I’m glad I didn’t—Larry made the material highly engaging and useful.
• Paper Trail Meets DNA: Solving Tough Cases with a Combined Approach by Kathryn Moore
  Kathryn’s clarity, passion, and pacing made this session both easy to follow and highly practical. Her ability to explain complex strategies, that also mirrored my own, in a digestible way made this one of my favorites.

Looking Ahead

The UGA Summit of Excellence continues to be one of my favorite conferences each year. The flexibility of having session recordings available for several months means I can go back, catch what I missed, and rewatch favorites. I still have more sessions to look forward to, and I can’t wait to see what new insights they’ll bring.

A huge thank you to the Utah Genealogical Association, the organizers, and the many excellent presenters who made this year’s Summit such a success. I was thrilled to be part of it again and am already looking forward to next year’s event!

Summit of Excellence

Utah Genealogical Association

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