The Baton Rouge Genealogical and Historical Society announced today the appointment of new directors and officers to its leadership team. Robert Brevelle is the society’s President, Dr. Mark Choi is Vice President, and Melissa Collins is Secretary. The changes became effective earlier this month.

Founded in 1980, the Baton Rouge Genealogical and Historical Society was established to research, preserve and share genealogical and historical information relative to the people and communities of the greater Baton Rouge area.

“I look forward to serving the genealogists, historians and people of Baton Rouge,” said incoming President Robert Brevelle. “The society owes a debt of gratitude to Mary McKeough for her many years of dedicated service and leadership, and we greatly appreciate her support through the transition.”

Robert is a lifelong student and advocate of Louisiana history and genealogy. “I was blessed to have exceptional teachers like Mr. McManus and Colonel McCloud who instilled a passion for history. My father nurtured these interests by taking me to historic sites and museums across the state. Together, we participated in archaeological digs. We fought off snakes and mosquitoes as we hiked and paddled to remote Native American sites from Natchitoches to Marksville. In college, I continued my studies and minored in Military Science and History.”

Robert went on to earn a Bachelor of Science summa cum laude in Computer Science and a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. He later completed the Executive Leadership Program at the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University and the Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas.

“When I was given the opportunity to take a sabbatical from my management job, I chose to study genealogy and heraldry in Europe. I studied at the Vatican and traced my forefathers to 14th century France. It was a truly amazing experience when I discovered our ancestral fief and coat of arms in Normandy.”

He has also researched his lineage in Louisiana with the help of the Natchitoches Genealogy Library and the Roman Catholic Church.

“My French ancestor Jean Baptiste Brevelle arrived in the Louisiana colony in 1718. As a French marine, he helped established Fort St. Jean Baptiste des Natchitoches. He was a renowned trader and explorer. He married a Native American slave, and their children were the founders of Isle Brevelle and some of the first Louisiana Creoles. I find it remarkable that after 300 years, I grew up and live a mere 50 miles away.”

In recent years, Robert has completed postgraduate work at Southern Methodist University and Cornell University earning certificates in Corporate Law, Finance, and Genealogy. He also spent 10 years as an adjunct professor. Robert’s experience in genealogy and running large corporations will prove useful as the society expands its programs and services.

These changes reflect a leveraging of resources and programs offered by the Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society (LGHS), which serves the entire state of Louisiana. Robert is Chairman of the LGHS.

“Both the Louisiana state and the Baton Rouge societies will benefit from a closer working relationship and obvious economies of scale to reduce costs, improve programs, and better serve its members across the state,” said Robert.

Like many other nonprofit and historical organizations, the society lost much of its membership during the Covid-19 Pandemic and unfortunately has never really recovered. These leadership changes are intended to revive the society and diversify the the demographics of its traditional membership base.

Robert is a life member of the Leesville VFW Auxiliary, National Guard Association, Association of the US Army, and the Century Club of the Leesville High School Alumni Association. He serves on the board of directors and as a Tribal Councilman of the Adai Caddo Indian Nation of Louisiana in Robeline.