FamilySearch chief genealogical officer recognised for a lifetime of contribution to genealogy

David was honoured with the prestigious Preservation and History Award during the NEHGS family history benefit dinner in Boston, Massachusetts, on 27 October. The award honours ‘outstanding leadership in preserving knowledge, culture, records, and history for the benefit of genealogists, historians, and the public at large’.

‘No one deserves recognition in the field of genealogy today more than David Rencher,’ said NEHGS President and CEO, Brenton Simons. ‘He has had tremendous and widespread positive influence in the field, enabling scholarship, building meaningful associations, creating fruitful collaborative opportunities, and steering various societies, interest groups, and key practitioners in important ways. David has done all of this and much more, often without the recognition he deserves. His passion for the subject matter and the people is contagious.’

In his roles at FamilySearch through his 42-year career—including manager of public outreach, director of the Family History Library, and currently as the Chief Genealogical Officer — David has connected with societies and consortiums to support key family history initiatives of common interest. FamilySearch and the NEHGS began collaborating several years ago on local indexing projects.

David said that  the support of FamilySearch over the decades has enabled him to pursue and be part of so many worthwhile community and industry efforts: ‘One of the earliest joint projects with NEHGS was the indexing of one of the earliest Massachusetts censuses,” he explained. ‘One thing led to another. NEHGS had relationships in New England that we were struggling to make, and we partnered on a number of different opportunities. NEHGS has continually been a friend to FamilySearch, and I have been pleased to be a part of those relationships for many, many years.’