In September of 2007 nine people came together to form The Lost Colony Genealogy & DNA Research Group, under the direction of Roberta Estes.

Each person has their own specialty.

1. Roberta Estes: Project Administrator of The Lost Colony Genealogy & DNA Research Group

Roberta Estes has been a professional scientist and business owner in the information technology arena for 25+ years, (BS Computer Science, MBA, graduate work in Geographic Information Systems), as well as an obsessed genealogist since 1978. In 2005, reflecting her interest and expertise in genetics for genealogy, she formed DNAeXplain, a company providing individual analysis of DNA results and genealogical assistance. Please visit the web site at http://www.dnaexplain.com Roberta speaks publicly on the topic of DNA and genealogy and has been interviewed by the New York Times for multiple publications, appearing on Voice of America, National Public Radio, ABC News, TACC9-TV “Down East Today”, as well as in other national and international radio, television and news publications and conferences. Recently, Roberta has launched the DNA search for the Roanoke Lost Colonists.

2. Joe Chandler: Co-Administrator of The Lost Colony DNA project at FamilyTreeDNA a Houston Texas, based business.

3. Penny Ferguson: Co-Administrator of The Lost Colony DNA project at FamilyTreeDNA, Co-Administrator of the projects blog at http://the-lost-colony.blogspot.com/

4. Robert Noles: Co-Administrator of The Lost Colony DNA project at FamilyTreeDNA

Rob retired from McDermott, Inc. (The Babcock & Wilcox Company) in 1994 after a 31 year career involving the design and manufacture of nuclear power plant components, primarily for the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program for the Navy's fleet of nuclear powered submarines and aircraft carriers. He is a 1963 graduate of the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in mechanical engineering.

Rob has spent the past 13 years as a full time genealogist. In addition to the traditional family genealogies in his database, Rob has added genealogies for the U.S. Presidents, Western Civilization Royalty, the Pilgrims, Magna Carta signers, Bible personalities, etc. A major effort for Rob's database has been the addition of all known genealogies for the southeast Georgia region known as Wiregrass Georgia.

5. Anne Poole: Principal Researcher

Anne Poole has been involved in Lost Colony Research for thirty years. She continues to do active research in all facets of what may have happened to the colonists and is now researching the Chowan, NC area, for information that may connect to the colonists.

Anne is also an affiliate of the prestigious Rhine Research Center in Durham, NC, where she frequently lectures on Criminal Profiling.

She also is founder of Carolina Ghost Hunters, and was featured in the 2005 fall issue of OUR STATE magazine on her ghost research in the NC Capitol in Raleigh, NC.

6. Jennifer Sheppard: Certificate In Family History Research, Professional Research Option, Bringham Young University

Professional Genealogist, Certificate in Family History Research, Professional Research Option, Brigham Young University.

7. Janet Crain: Co-Administrator of the projects blog at http://the-lost-colony.blogspot.com/

Retired Public School Librarian, Interests: Grandchildren, reading, computer, genealogy, DNA, history, writing, arts and crafts, sewing, Lost Colony.

8. Dr. Ana Oquendo Pabon, MD: Advisor, Manages the Lost Colony Genealogy & DNA Research Group's Store, A Graphic Artist.

Store URL: http://www.cafepress.com/lostcolony

9. Nelda L. Percival: Web Master, Graphic Artist Manages the Lost Colony Genealogy - members, and the Lost Colony Genealogy - Admin. mailing lists at yahoogroups.com; the webmaster for the Lost Colony Genealogy and DNA Research website.

She was a member of the U.S. Army for close to 14 years, enlisting in 1973 and medically retired in 1987. Over the years, not only was she stationed in the lower continental United States, she was stationed in Germany, South Korea and Japan. Nelda believes that you can learn more about a country if you visit the areas that are not geared to the military. She spent most of her off duty time among the natives of each country.

In 1995, she attended Jacksonville Community College for Accounting. Transferring in 1997 to Texas State Technical School in Waco, Texas, for Commercial Art and Advertisement, she graduated in February of 1999 with a 3.65 average.

While at Texas State Technical College, in 1997 she was inducted into Phi Theta Kappa, an international academic honor society, became a society officer and was subsequently listed in the "Who’s Who of Two Year Colleges of 1999".

Nelda is a retired Staff Sergeant and has 3 children, 4 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Although, the group has diversified historys and interests, they share the goal of gathering as much data as possible to prove that at least some of the colonists did in fact survive as has been suggested by numerous historical accounts, possibly having assimilated into the indigenous tribes of the area or having been taken captive, or both. As the various tribes moved inland, the colonists would have moved with them. If the colonists were enslaved, they could have been sold or traded and not remained as a group, being scattered to various locations.

The research group will be working to connect the genealogies with the historical records and genetic results from individuals who are likely candidates to be descendants of the Lost Colonists. We have assembled names of interest that are compiled from the Lost Colony settlers and also from the early families found in the areas where the colonists are believed to have settled. Early land transactions and grants reference individuals with many of these last names as Indians.

Possible candidates to be connected to the Lost Colony come from the following groups of individuals:

1. Those who have any of the surnames of interest and whose genealogy ends abruptly early in Eastern VA or NC.
2. Those who connect via any of these surnames to the British Isles.
3. Those whose family has an oral history of being connected to the Lost Colony.
4. Those with Native American heritage from Eastern or early NC or VA.

Please visit the website at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~molcgdrg

The Lost Colony Genealogy and DNA Research Group