{"id":78592,"date":"2023-06-13T08:39:40","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T13:39:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/?p=78592"},"modified":"2026-03-13T15:14:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T20:14:43","slug":"group-project-administrator-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.familytreedna.com\/es\/group-project-administrator-success\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Keys To Being a Group Project Administrator With FamilyTreeDNA"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/1″][vc_column_text uncode_shortcode_id=”186589″]By: Andy Hochreiter<\/p>\n

Andy Hochreiter\u2019s advice for Group Project Administrators is simple: take time to set up a plan, have patience until the right person tests, and be prepared to purchase tests for the people you find.<\/h2>\n

My years as a FamilyTreeDNA Group Project Administrator have taught me many things. Participation in a DNA project requires three key elements: Time<\/strong>, Patience<\/strong>, and Money<\/strong>. We all fall short of one or all these items. But dealing with each requirement provides a rich and educational experience.<\/p>\n

My journey began in 2005, when I completed the Genographic Project test from National Geographic. FamilyTreeDNA provided the lab services and offered participants a transfer of their results into the company\u2019s database.<\/p>\n

I remember a cheery young man who asked if I was interested in starting a surname project. I felt personally anointed by his request and interest in my surname.<\/p>\n

He also sent me a copy of the book “DNA & Genealogy” by Colleen Fitzpatrick and Andrew Yeiser<\/a>. It was the first book I ever read on genetic genealogy. Joining the list of DNA projects at FamilyTreeDNA introduced me to the ever-expanding discovery of DNA\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n

It Takes Time<\/strong> to Setup a Plan For a Group Project<\/h2>\n

My particular interest in my surname originated during a visit to my paternal grandparents’ town of origin. They came from the market town of Moosbach, in the Upper Palatinate of Bavaria. The family homestead there passed to my grandfather\u2019s sister, who married a Hanauer. Although I was grateful to meet the Hanauer descendants, there were no longer any Hochreiters living in the village.<\/p>\n

Step One: Take Time to Research Your Surname<\/h3>\n

The Hochreiter DNA Group Project<\/a> started in 2007 for men who carry the Hochreiter surname or variations such as Hochreuter and Hochreither. The surname Hochreiter literally translates to \u201chigh rider,\u201d but I discovered a surname definition in The Dictionary of American Family Names (2013, Oxford University Press).<\/p>\n

\u201cSouth German: topographic name for someone who lived on or owned a piece of high-lying cleared land.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

This accounted for the alternative spellings in older records. Any connection to nobility was dashed, but I embraced my dirt farmer ancestry.<\/p>\n

That finding compelled me to change my ancient roots story from a Teutonic chieftain to a Roman legionnaire.<\/p>\n

Step Two: Make Time to Keep Your Research Organized<\/h3>\n

Although the Hochreither project is not large, there are participants from various US states, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, and South Africa (Austrian immigrants). I began testing many of my known male relatives, including first and second cousins. This established a DNA signature with compare to that of other unknown participants.<\/p>\n

All my relatives who descend from Moosbach immigrants belong to Y-DNA haplogroup E-M35<\/a>. This was a surprise since I expected a Northern European haplogroup representing my Germanic roots. E-M35 originated in Africa but is found in high percentages around the Mediterranean.<\/p>\n

Step Three: Create a Plan To Reach Your Project Goals<\/h3>\n

I began a recruitment campaign by downloading address lists from online telephone books and befriending every Hochreiter on Facebook. As I tested more unknown Hochreiters, none of them matched my family\u2019s Y-DNA<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Currently, we have participants represented by Y-DNA haplogroups..<\/p>\n