Speakers & Presenters

TROY TAYLOR:

Troy Taylor is the author of nearly 130 books on ghosts, hauntings, true crime, the unexplained, and the supernatural in America. He is also the founder of American Hauntings Ink, which offers books, ghost tours, events, and weekend excursions. He was born and raised in the Midwest and currently divides his time between Illinois and the far-flung reaches of America.

SCOTT MARKUS:

Scott has been actively involved in researching the paranormal for more than half of his life. He is a published author, having written a historical/paranormal book about Chicago called “Voices from the Chicago Grave.” His work in both production and the paranormal includes two documentaries on the unexplained, running the website WhatsYourGhostStory.com, co-hosting and producing the paranormal radio show “The Mothership Connection” out of WLIP AM-1050 Kenosha and being interviewed multiple times for Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Monument,” in addition to other local press. Markus has been working in various aspects of film and television production since 1997. His work has taken him across America while working on set for “Lost,” “The Dark Knight,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshal,” “Stranger Than Fiction” and many more. He is a regular public speaker and paranormal convention guest across the US, including Hawaii.

CHRIS MCBRIEN:

Chris McBrien is a documented psychic medium was raised in a documented Scots Irish family tradition of shamanism carried with his ancestors from Antrim, Ireland to the US in 1809. He had additional witchcraft teachers Dolores Youngquist, George Shadwick and Selena Fox. He then spent nine years in training as a Sufi in the Dayemi Tariqat under the direct tutelage of it's Master, Sheikh Din Muhammed Abdullah al-Dayemi. His psychic/medium abilities were enhanced as the result of a near-death experience in 2011. His abilities from his Sufi training include Sufi meditation techniques, energy work/Dhikr as well as the skill of exorcism. Besides the experience inherent in his work, he also travels to research and document the paranormal both in the US and Europe. He provides services through but not limited to his office in Galena, IL.

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KATHI KRESOL:

Kathi Kresol is a researcher, author, and presenter on all aspects of the odd and unusual. She spends her spare time driving backroads searching for the lost tales of hauntings, tragedies, and horrific crimes. Kathi weaves history and legend together with personal experiences for these bizarre stories of true crimes and paranormal encounters. She uses the stories she researches for presentations, in books, and for her Haunted Rockford Paranormal Events.

ROBYN DAVIS & TED WILLIAMS

Ted and Robyn are thrilled you are here!! Your hosts for the Haunted Galena Conference own The Haunted Galena Tour Company, and were co-creators of Galena's first ghost tour back in 2001. Robyn has an undergrad degree in history, and a Masters degree in counseling Psychology. Ted has been fascinated (and occasionally confronted) by the paranormal since his arrival in Galena in 1995, and enjoys researching esoterica and proposing theoretical solutions to ancient mysteries. They live in an 1885 restored schoolhouse with their Golden Doodle Winn Dixie.

FAINA LORAH:

Faina Lorah is a Cincinnati-based artist who puts a modern and magical spin on traditional art techniques to create a world of whimsy. She draws from her Russian heritage to produce folk art with a bold and colorful twist, aims to make divination cards both approachable and accessible, and loves to share stories through her oil paintings. She is the creator of multiple divination card decks and has published numerous books on folklore, including Vasilisa's Russian Fairy Tales, Curious Creatures of Russian Folklore, and Krampus and Other Yuletide Tales.

CHAD LEWIS:

For nearly three decades Chad Lewis has traveled the back roads of the world in search of the strange and unusual. From tracking Vampires in Transylvania and searching for the elusive monster of Loch Ness to trailing the dangerous Tata Duende through remote villages of Belize and searching for ghosts in Ireland's castles, Chad has scoured the earth in search of the paranormal.

Chad has been featured on the Discovery Channel's A Haunting, William Shatner's Weird or What, ABC's World's Scariest Places, Monsters and Mysteries in America, along with being a frequent contributor to Ripley's Believe it or Not Radio. With a Master's Degree in Psychology, Chad has authored over 25 books on the supernatural and extensively lectures on his fascinating findings. The more the bizarre the legend is, the more likely you will find Chad there!

MIKE HUBERTY:

Mike Huberty was always interested in ghost stories, UFO sightings, and other weird tales. In 2010, he founded a tourism company called Madison Ghost Walks dedicated to preserving the Wisconsin capitol city’s history and folklore, as well as showing people a great time around the city. In addition to hunting ghosts, he co-hosts a weekly podcast on the paranormal and pop culture called See You On The Other Side. Madison Ghost Walks has now expanded to American Ghost Walks, preserving and boosting haunted history in more Midwestern (and beyond) cities including Minneapolis, St. Paul, Lake Geneva, and Wisconsin Dells, as well as joining forces with his sister’s ghost tour, Milwaukee Ghosts.

WENDY LYNN MARKUS:

Musician for the paranormally-inspired rock band Sunspot and Co-Host of the podcast "See You On The Other Side", Wendy's curiosity for the unknown is balanced by a healthy skepticism established through years working as an engineer. As an American Ghost Walks haunted history tour guide for the city of Waukesha, she presents fantastic stories of ghosts and mysticism while remaining dedicated to the historical accuracy of Wisconsin's riveting past.