Dr. Helen Graham
Dr. Helen Graham, a Persian Gulf War veteran, has more than 30 years of genealogical research experience. She serves as Director of Genealogical Research for Principal Research Group. She and her team work to identify, study, conserve and protect cultural materials, peoples, and places related to the understudied, underrepresented, forgotten, or lost communities and individuals in history. Dr. Graham earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Sam Houston State University and a certificate in Family History Research from Brigham Young University-Idaho.
My Heritage
Between The Love Boat and WWF Wrestling, I learned about my heritage of strength, hard work, tenacity, and perseverance at the knee of my grandfather who was born in 1892. My grandfather survived the Jim Crow South and outlived professions such as logging (he rolled logs down the Mississippi River) and being an iceman (he delivered blocks of ice to people with ice boxes). Through the myriad of stories my grandfather shared, I came to know and believe in myself. The knowledge of knowing who I am, what I am capable of, and that I belong to something larger than myself has helped me thrive under the direst circumstances.
When my grandfather died at the age of 99 years and 11 months, my maternal great-grandmother’s identity died with him. Or so I thought. He shared her name, but not much else. I recalled the family bible where my grandfather documented our family’s births, deaths, marriages, and military service. I located the family bible and tucked between the pages was my grandfather’s hand-written obituary that contained the name of his mother. Armed with her name, death year, and my grandfather’s birthplace, I was able to locate my maternal great-grandmother, her parents, and her siblings. My great-grandmother survived the Reconstruction era and her parents survived enslavement. My heritage of perseverance runs deep. Family stories helped me discover myself. We each have a story. Come discover yours.
Holly Walker
After receiving her bachelor’s degree in English from Brigham Young University, Holly began her career in public affairs began as an intern at Edelman in the Washington, D.C. office where she focused on crisis communications servicing clients in the financial services sector. Holly became familiar with the lobbying industry when she served as Executive Assistant to the Chairman at BGR Group where she worked closely with the Chairman and assisted him on several projects including raising over $2 million dollars for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. As Director of Public Affairs for Sederholm Public Affairs, Inc., Holly managed high profile clients and helped them achieve policy solutions through direct lobbying before Congress, specializing in a broad range of issues including healthcare and labor.
Today, Holly volunteers her time as an Assistant Communications Director over Media for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, working with local Nashville non-profits and community leaders. Holly is married to her husband Christian, and has three adorable kids. While almost all of her extended family has passed on, Holly values the importance of family history as a way to instill in her own children the importance of who they are, where they come from, and the limitless possibilities of where they can go.