Laura is DNAngels’ Founder and Executive Director. She has more than a decade of experience in the high-paced world of Corporate Sales Management, where she won multiple awards for performance and technique. Laura also served in the healthcare industry as a licensed Navigator for the Affordable Care Act. Her professional experience and Business Management education prepared her for the demands of an organization that she has seen grow and evolve from a labor-of-love venture co- founded with several fellow Search Angels to a full-fledged 501(c)(3) non-profit that is on course to solve over 5,000 cases by the end of 2023. In her role as Executive Director, she coordinates interdepartmental projects while continuing to solve a staggering number of cases in her role as Lead Genetic Genealogist. Laura is also a member of the National Genealogical Society, NGS, and the International Society of Genetic Genealogy, ISOGG. She has taken multiple certificate courses through the National Genealogy Society and attended numerous webinars and workshops. Laura was one of the keynote speakers at the 2022 Illinois State Genealogy Society Annual Conference and has been interviewed by Herb Cohen with Executive Leaders Radio, the New York Times, and ABC News, among others. Laura was also a presenter at 2023 DNA Day for Family Search.
Laura’s interest in genealogy began with a family history book started by her Aunt Shirley. When Laura decided to create a family history book for her grandchildren, she took a DNA test and found a surprise. Building upon her past experiences with genealogy, Laura quickly learned how to read DNA matches to determine probable relationships. She began creating mirror trees, reading centimorgans, and recognizing anomalies in data. Within two weeks, she was able to determine the identity of her biological father.
Laura’s journey has provided her insight into the unique emotional needs of Not Parent Expected (NPE), adoptees, and donor-conceived individuals, along with the skills required to identify answers. She has turned her pain into a purpose and created DNAngels, and along the way she has recruited a volunteer army of staff members with the same core mission and values. Since many people who uncover this information lack a strong support network, Laura has made it a personal mission to help others navigate their newfound knowledge and identify answers and closure. She believes you can choose to sit on the sidelines and watch others suffer, or you can take action and use your skills, your money, or your position to help others in pain. “I choose to use my skills and experience to help others. I firmly believe a person should not have to be financially privileged in order to know who their biological mother or father is.”