Gary Mokotoff is a top expert in Jewish genealogy, but he also is an innovator on the business side of family history.

For his outstanding service to the Association of Professional Genealogists (APG), the organization gave Mokotoff the Grahame T. Smallwood Jr. Award of Merit on June 9. APG President Sharon Moody presented the award to him in Chicago at the APG luncheon at the National Genealogical Society’s Conference in the States.

Mokotoff was APG treasurer from 2002-2005 and developed several ideas to benefit members, including discounts on selected new books, a bookstore with discounts on thousands of books, and the establishment of a “members only” section on the organization’s web site.

A resident of Bergenfield, New Jersey, he is the author and publisher of several publications on Jewish genealogy, including the journal Avotaynu and the award-winning book Where Once We Walked in 1991. He was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies.

Mokotoff once said he feels his greatest accomplishments are in Jewish genealogy rather than his organizational and business achievements, which include service on a number of genealogical boards. Mokotoff, who has developed Jewish genealogy databases, undertakes research only for Holocaust-related clients and their families. He has helped connect Holocaust survivors with relatives and helped others determine the fate of loved ones on a pro bono basis.

Established in 1979, the 1,600-member Association of Professional Genealogists (http://www.apgen.org) is the world’s leading professional organization of family history and related professionals. APG established the Smallwood Award in 1981 and first awarded it to namesake Grahame T. Smallwood Jr., an early leader in the association.