Jeri Meeks

Project Archaeology Master Teacher

A Site Steward for seven years, Jeri supports the Program and Foundation with her 30 years of not-for-profit business management experience, grant writing and website support skills.  She is a lobbyist for the ASU Retirees Association and the Arizona Site Steward Program Foundation. 

​Nicole Armstrong Best

Project Archaeology Master Teacher
Director of Pueblo Grande Museum since 2015.

Previously served as the Chief of Community Stewardship at Arizona State Parks, which included responsibility for archaeology, collections, curatorial support, volunteer and nonprofit engagement, and educational programming. ​

Scott Wood

Humanities Scholar for Arizona Project Archaeology
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Worked for Tonto National Forest for 40 years, retiring as Forest Archaeologist in 2015. During that time, was constantly involved in the preservation and interpretation of cultural resources in Arizona, working with volunteers,and promoting public archaeology and the importance of incorporating citizen scientists in archaeological research. Helped found the Site Steward Program  and worked with the program as a land manager and trainer of new stewards. 

Brooke Wheeler

State volunteer, Youth, Environmental Education Lead within the Arizona Bureau of Land Management (BLM-AZ)
She provides strategic policy and planning guidance to BLM-AZ staff and partners. Her passions are encouraging youth from diverse backgrounds to become the next generation of public land stewards and creating ways for the public to fulfill their civic passions through volunteerism. Prior to the BLM, Brooke worked in various education, volunteer and cultural heritage fields including the Smithsonian Natural Museum of the American Indian, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community Elementary School, Sitka Alaska Historical Museum, Bureau of Indian Affairs and the National Archives and Records Administration. Brooke is from Tuba City, Arizona located on the Navajo Nation Reservation.  She has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and native American Studies and Master’s in Public Administration and Nonprofit Management from Arizona State University.

Dr. Lisa Yopp

Project Archaeology Master Teacher
     Doctoral degree in Instructional Technology and Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University.  Experienced teacher in all grades along with school administrator experience as a principal.  Lover of history and archaeology, but mostly young learners.
dryopp.com
National Grant Reader for the Challenge Grant
District Teacher of the Year
Dissertation Reviewer
Editor
​Web Designer for this project.

Kathryn Leonard​

Arizona’s State Historic Preservation Officer
​(appt. Sept, 2016) 
    Kathryn is a professional archaeologist and historian who has worked in both the public and private sectors to provide expertise in National Register of Historic Places eligibility, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act compliance, and tribal government to government consultation.  She is a graduate of Vassar College, and holds a master's degrees in anthropology and history from Arizona State University. Kathryn has almost twenty years of experience working in the field of cultural resources management, and prior to her appointment as SHPO, served as Operations Director of an Alaskan Native Corporation-owned environmental consulting firm.

Sharlot Hart

Archaeologist
NPS Southern Arizona Office 
As an archeologist with the
National Park Service, Sharlot
supports AZ Project Archaeology
through her specialized education,
project management and
outreach skills.  She is most happy
discovering small, significant,
details with others and sharing
this knowledge widely.

Sean Hammond

Coordinator for the Site Steward Program

Sean joined State Parks in 2013 and has served as the Coordinator for the Site Steward Program (SSP) since 2018.  Previously, in the Grants and Trails Section at Parks, Sean worked with land managers, including archaeologists from various agencies (US Forest Service, BLM, etc.) to develop recreation activities for outdoor users and to ensure cultural resources would not be impacted.  Sean returned to school in 2013 to pursue a career in park service and started as an Interpretive Ranger at Kartchner Caverns SP.  Since 1999, Sean has spent nearly 20 years in volunteer management working in social services, public health and safety including time in the Governor’s Office, under Governor Napolitano. Sean is a 1998 graduate of the University of Arizona and studied in St. Petersburg & Moscow, Russia. 
The Site Steward Program operates under the management of the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), a division of State Parks & Trails.

Jill McCormick

Historic Preservation Officer and archaeologist for the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe

Jill conducts NEPA, CEQA, and NHPA reviews, Section 106 consultation, and serves as a liaison between the Tribe and Federal, State and Local agencies to preserve the Quechan culture. Additionally, she works with Tribal elders and youth to promote cultural preservation and sustainability. She has also worked extensively with Colorado River Tribes promoting collaboration among the Tribes regarding protection of traditional cultural properties, sacred sites and other matters of specific Tribal importance. Mrs. McCormick is also an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Arizona Western College, and has worked with the Arizona Site Steward program as a regional coordinator for 24 years.

Lisa Deem

Administrator, Educator and Volunteer with the Elden Pueblo
Project / Arizona Natural History Associaton for the Coconino
Natonal Forest

Works with students in Northern Arizona in cultural education and stewardship projects through the Elden Pueblo Project since 2003. Coordinates archaeological education and research efforts with Museum of Northern Arizona. Creates tomorrow’s stewards through public involvement of cultural preservation and site assessment projects. Volunteered for the Grand Canyon Archaeology project in 2008-2009.

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