Richard Thiessen is Executive Director of the Mennonite Heritage Museum in Abbotsford, BC. Previously he was Librarian at Mennonite Brethren Bible College / Concord College, and Library Director at Columbia Bible College. Richard's love for Mennonite history and genealogy have been the focus of much of his volunteer work. He has served as president of both the Mennonite Historical Society of Canada and the Mennonite Historical Society of British Columbia, and was also active for many years with the Manitoba Mennonite Historical Society. For twenty years he has been involved with GAMEO: the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (www.gameo.org). He created the website www.mennonitegenealogy.com in the late 1990s to help make Mennonite genealogical resources available to the public. Richard has a deep love and commitment to the Church, and has served on a number of local, provincial, and national church committees in both Mennonite Brethren and Mennonite Church contexts. Richard and his wife Karen love to travel and to learn more about the places and people they see and meet. They have visited over 40 countries and have travelled extensively through both Canada and the United States. Over the years they have also hosted numerous exchange students in their home. Richard and Karen have three sons and a daughter-in-law. They believe that one of the best things they ever did as a family was to spend two months in Ethiopia volunteering at the Meserete Kristos College. Richard loves photography, visiting museums, listening to music, collecting stamps, growing lilies, and cheering for the Montreal Canadiens.