In response to the continuing publication of the press release issued by the National Genealogical Society (NGS) Board of Directors on 12 January 2004, Wendy Herr, former Executive Director of NGS, has released a statement to "set the record straight" about her side in the controversy.

"I am the former Executive Director of the National Genealogical Society. The NGS statement, which as of this date remains posted on the NGS website and referenced by recent publications, contains several false and misleading statements. I have refrained from remarking on these statements until this time, primarily out of loyalty to the many, many NGS members that are being harmed by these disingenuous assertions and because of the sincere affection I have for the Society and its mission. In addition, I believe that no matter what course the new leadership of the NGS Board sets for the Society, knowledge of the truth will serve to strengthen the organization. The most important point is that all expenditures of funds were fully approved by the NGS Board of Directors at the 1 September 2004 meeting. Prior to the board meeting, the NGS Finance Committee had reviewed the budget, and changes were incorporated as a result of these meetings. The passage of the budget was done after extensive discussion, in a meeting that lasted several hours. Therefore, the statement in the NGS press release that expenditures were transacted without full board approval and knowledge is false. The only NGS Board-restricted fund is the NGS Second Century Endowment Fund. At the end of the fiscal year before I started working for NGS, the amount of this fund was less than $2,000. At the time of the November 2003 NGS Board meeting the net of the endowment fund was approaching $30,000. This was in the middle of an active fundraising campaign, which unfortunately was not reinforced as planned at the productive end-of-year income tax donation season. In other words, after the fundraising expenses that launched the campaign were paid, the Second Century Endowment Fund was showing impressive first campaign returns. Upon my recommendation to the Finance Committee, and approved by the NGS Board of Directors, these funds were held in an entirely separate bank from the regular operating funds. At no time during my tenure were the Second Century Funds used to pay for general operations, or as stated in the press release, “NGS reserves had been spent to compensate.” This statement is false. The NGS Board of Directors adopted a corporate strategic plan at the May 2003 meeting. This plan contained the strategies and direction that the full board approved. This plan was developed over many months and was the subject of several special meetings and sessions with the board. To state that I set the direction of the organization without board oversight and consent, as has recently been reported, is false. The NGS press release stated that the Executive Director had been dismissed on a “without cause” basis as allowed by the employment agreement in place. What was not said in the press release is that the NGS Board refused to honor the contract and did not pay the severance in accordance with the integrity of the contract. Association executive professionals almost always have “without cause” clauses written into employment contracts, precisely because power shifts in governing boards that they work for do occur. The entire board approved these provisions in September 2002. What is misleading however, is to imply in their press release that the NGS Board was acting in accordance to the contract provisions. They did not. The official minutes of the NGS Board of Director meeting will support my statements. In addition, the IRS Form 990 will show that another controversial element discussed in the media, my salary, was set at $15,000 less than the previous Executive Director’s salary. Since this position was vacant for so long, the higher rate in place for the previous director was two years old. The IRS 990 is available to the public." Wendy W. Herr FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE TO THE PRESS: Contact information: Wendy W. Herr, FHFMA (410) 352-9921. E-mail: herrdogs@aol.com 6 MAY 2004