Genealogists' Council Member
Thom Reed is a program manager for North America African heritage for FamilySearch International. His area of emphasis is African American records, research, and experiences. He also manages relationships with community, genealogical and historical organizations for people of African descent. Reed is leading the way for FamilySearch as a collaborative partner in the historic 10 Million Names project which is dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated ten million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America (specifically, the territory that would become the United States) between the 1500s and 1865.
Reed is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago, and Black Family Genealogy and History Society (Phoenix). In 2019, he served on the national board of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) as the vice president for genealogy.
Reed received his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business with a minor in Japanese studies from Illinois State University and received his Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Brigham Young University. Prior to working for FamilySearch, Reed spent more than 10 years as a marketing, communications, and business development professional in the consumer-packaged goods, healthcare, and technology industries. He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of 5 children and reside in South Jordan, Utah.