Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 600 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2022 award recipients and learn why they received the 2022 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Today we’re introducing Hank LuBean of East Wenatchee, Washington, who was nominated by the Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society (WAGS).

As WAGS’ technology chair, Hank had set up a digitizing system in 2018/19 for the society, creating a state-of-the-art digitizing station, and programming and building a website and database to archive digitized items. These very successful projects garnered Hank the WAGS Outstanding Volunteer designation in 2019.

Then WAGS got word that EasyNet Sites, our web provider, was going out of business. Hank suggested we create and maintain our own website, and volunteered to take on the task. He had previous experience making websites for family and some smaller groups around town, but WAGS was a bigger challenge, needing to include ordering merchandise; creating and tracking memberships and receiving payments; creating specialized pages for historical photos and large databases; the previous digitized archive and other databases; and a specialized search engine. Hank’s perseverance and commitment to making documents available to others has resulted in an attractive and functional new website. An important part of his approach is training others to be able to navigate the site and edit and revise.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Volunteer Award.”

Since 2003, the Washington State Genealogical Society has recognized over 600 outstanding volunteers and teams, nominated by their local society or genealogical organization for their service and dedication. These volunteers are the backbone of their local society, giving their time and expertise, to the organization and the field of genealogy. In the coming months, you will be introduced to each of the 2022 award recipients and learn why they received the 2022 WSGS Outstanding Volunteer and Team Award.

Today we’re introducing Carolyn Gundersen of Peshastin, Washington, who was nominated by the Wenatchee Area Genealogical Society (WAGS).

Diane is one of WAGS’s Outstanding Volunteers for 2022 for her work restructuring the WAGS library. She joined WAGS about five years ago. Not long after, she volunteered in the WAGS library, working one day a month and editing indexes a few hours a week from home. As her interest grew, so did her time commitment, and soon she found herself a member at-large on the WAGS Board, moving up to the head librarian position in 2019.

With board approval, Diane began to look for ways to make the library a more welcoming place for patrons to do their research, and a more efficient place for volunteers to do their work. With courage, boundless energy and considerable organizational skills, she first studied what jobs were being done where in our library and made plans to move or replace existing furniture with more modern accoutrements. She is boldly going forward with removing old paper resources that are now online. Under her leadership, WAGS is consolidating their North Central Washington resources into one area.

Diane is revitalizing WAGS’ 50-year-old library, creating a bright, versatile space that will serve us for the next half-century and beyond.

For more information on the WSGS Outstanding Volunteer Award program, visit the Recognition page of the WSGS website or contact Info@wasgs.org. Please type “Volunteer Award.”