Serving as President of this organization is an honor and a privilege. As such, we want to honor those who provided leadership to our Society and to the genealogical community.

To recognize and honor the service of our Past Presidents, we have created the WSGS “Presidents’ Circle,” an exclusive group composed of men and women who served as president of our state society. They have helped shape WSGS into what it is today: an active and ever-changing organization dedicated to educating its members about genealogy and to cultivating public awareness of the educational, historical and personal value of genealogical research. Our past presidents include:

1984 – Alma Greenwood, Olympia Genealogical Society

1985 – Elsie Trautloff (deceased), South King County Genealogical Society

1987 – Maxine Bissell, Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

1989 – Kathleen Johnson, Long Beach

1992 – Pam Chilton, Lower Columbia Genealogical Society

1994 – Frank McLean, Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

1996 – Laura Pemberton Sparr, Skagit Valley Genealogical Society

2000 – Robert Witherspoon (deceased), Whatcom Genealogical Society

2004 – Stephen Baylor, Stillaguamish Valley Genealogical Society

2008 – Sue Ericksen, Yakima Valley Genealogical Society

2013 – Mikal McKinnon, Tri-City Genealogical Society

As a member of the “Presidents’ Circle,” each honoree received a lifetime membership to WSGS – a small thank you for their years of service, dedication and support. For more information, including photographs, visit the Presidents’ Circle page on the WSGS website.