Mrs. Debra T. Gonzalez

Debra Taylor Gonzalez is a passionate genealogist. She has worked on her family’s genealogy for over thirty years. As president of the Friends of Geer Cemetery, she has been instrumental in the reformation of the organization since 2019. Debra has put together several histories for the people buried in Geer Cemetery and created hands-on activities for events, along with training volunteers to conduct research. She has presented an entry level genealogy class for the Durham Parks and Recreation and Duke University students. She has been a conference presenter for a local Afro American Historical and Genealogy Society (AAHGS) chapter, AAHGS Regional workshop, and AAHGS National Convention. Debra has given numerous presentations on Geer Cemetery to various groups. She is the organizer of the African American Cemetery Coalition. 

Debra is a member of Afro American Historical and Genealogy Society (AAHGS), National Genealogy Society (NGS), Association of Professional Genealogists, North Carolina Genealogical Society, and National Genealogy Speakers Guild. She is a graduate of  the ProGen  study group. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Toastmasters International, and Blue Devil Toastmasters club. Debra is a full-time technical writer for a software development company and a part-time instructor of English as a Second Language at Durham Technical Community College. She has a Teach English to Speakers of other Languages (TESOL) certificate and M Ed from NCSU in adult education from NCSU, and a BS from NCCU in mathematics.