Dear ASNJ Members,
Our President, Kristen Hohn, has announced that she and her family are expecting their second child this March and has made the decision to step down from the remainder of her term. At the January 2023 meeting we will hold an election for the remainder of the President’s unexpired term, which runs through January 2024.
In addition to this position, two Member-At-Large seats on the board are also up for reelection.
Take a look at the candidates who are running for these positions and those of you who are members, please remember to join us at the January 2023 Quarterly meeting on the 21st to cast your votes!
Candidate for President (Remainder of 2022-2024 term)
(Vote for 1)
George Leader
I was very humbled when I was asked if I would stand for ASNJ President. I have great respect for the impressive members and the strong and lasting contribution to archaeology in New Jersey that The Society has provided over the past 92 years.
I have been teaching archaeology and anthropology at The College of New Jersey for the last 10 years. During this time, I have been intimately involved in the development of our new anthropology major, began and grew a new Anthropology Society, created long-term archaeological opportunities for students, supervised dozens of archaeological research and theses projects, and worked to engage the public in our on-going projects. I’m very proud that our department is now consistently producing students who are carrying on to CRM careers and graduate school for archaeology and anthropology.
I have held a number of leadership positions at TCNJ including chairing the school-wide Learning Outcome and Assessment Committee as part of the accreditation process. I also chair a committee that has recently been turned into a special task force called the “Land and Legacy Committee”. Our goal is to further research the history of the land on which TCNJ now sits. I sit on our department’s curriculum committee, advise majors, and advise two student organizations.
As many of you know, my research falls into two vastly different areas chronologically and spatially. For 15 years I’ve been working in southern Africa in the Earlier Stone Age where I research hominid cultural transmission via lithic technology. My current project is in Namibia’s Namib Desert where we attempting to understand hominin occupation of this hyper-arid landscape.
Closer to home, I’ve been working on a number of historic sites in New Jersey and Philadelphia. One is the William Green Plantation on the campus of TCNJ. This has been a long-term project investigating the site’s role as a Revolutionary War billet and the lives of the indentured and enslaved persons at the house. I have also been working on the historic burial ground of the First Baptist Church of Philadelphia and the Locust Hill African American Cemetery in Trenton. I received my BA in Anthropology from Gettysburg College and my MSc and Ph.D. from University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.
As President of the Society, I hope to work closely with the board to ensure the continued health and steady growth of the Society. One priority I feel strongly about, is a discussion about the creation of an annual conference. I would propose turning one of the quarterly meetings into a larger weekend conference providing the opportunity for archaeologists and archaeology students from across the state to present papers and posters in a professional context. An annual conference has been standard practice in many state archaeological societies for years and offers significant benefits. It provides an opportunity for members to gather, discuss research, exchange ideas, network, and spend time getting to know one another without feeling like they need to rush off after a shorter Saturday meeting. The activities, happy hours, dinners, and conversation after a day of papers and posters develops a sense of community and belonging. I believe that with careful planning an annual meeting can increase funds, donations, and membership. In addition, a conference can bring more research to The Society which could boost submissions to The Bulletin.
I have been a member of ASNJ for 7 years and have greatly enjoyed meeting all the members. As President, I hope the experienced board members will help me transition into the role. I promise an open and equal table for everyone’s ideas to be discussed, and to approach the future with The Society’s Mission always in mind.
Thank you for your consideration.
-George
Candidates for Member-At-Large (2023-2026) (Vote for 2)
Michelle Davenport
I am a Senior Archaeologist with Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc, and have worked as an archaeologist across the country since 2011. I have been a member of the ASNJ since 2019 and was elected to sit on the ASNJ executive board as a Member-at-Large in 2020. I am running for a Member-at-Large position for the 2023-2026 term. Serving the ASNJ as a Member-at-Large is deeply rewarding, and I would be honored to be re-elected to the position. During my time on the ASNJ executive board, the society navigated the Covid-19 pandemic and used it as a way to implement some new ideas. We went virtual with our very successful lecture series and were able to continued volunteer digs and outreach. We are continuing to make efforts to increase the accessibility of our meetings and volunteer events to community members and working to bring in new community partners to work with, such as the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, with which we had two successful volunteer events in 2020 and 2021. If re-elected to the position of Member-at-Large, I look forward to continuing to work with the ASNJ board and the society as a whole as we re-emerge from the pandemic and explore new ways of reaching a wider audience of history-seekers and archaeology enthusiasts.
Jonathan Dernbach
Hello everyone, I’m excited to throw in my name for one of the Member-at-Large positions for 2023. I’ve been a member of the ASNJ for two years now, and have worked as an archaeologist in New Jersey for the past three years. Currently, I’m a supervisory field archaeologist at Richard Grubb & Associates, Inc. and an assistant curator at the Alan E. Carman Museum of Prehistory in Cumberland County. Having experience with both the public-facing and not-so public facing sides of the discipline, the need for community outreach and engagement is something I am very keen on.
I recently had the opportunity to help out with the public dig at the Piscatawaytown Burial Ground in Edison and greatly enjoyed interacting with the society members and local community there. In running for a Member-at-Large position, I would like to continue to assist the ASNJ and further contribute as both a member and a professional in the field.
Joel Dworsky
Joel Dworsky is a professional archaeologist residing in Burlington, NJ, where he has lived since 2013. He grew up in Lower Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where he first became interested in history and archaeology, visiting and learning about sites and events throughout the Delaware River Valley. He channeled this interest in history and archaeology into academic study, completing his undergraduate work in anthropology at Millersville University in Pennsylvania (2005) and obtaining his master’s at the College of William and Mary (2010). Today he works as a principal investigator at AECOM, a cultural resources management firm in Burlington, NJ. Mr. Dworsky has excavated sites throughout New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the Caribbean, and Bermuda but has done much of his work in NJ and PA in the greater Philadelphia region. He has directed excavations on various kinds of sites—from pre-contact to industrial. Mr. Dworsky also has extensive experience as a GIS specialist and database manager, wherein he conducts a variety of spatial analyses (including predictive modeling, cut/fill, landscape reconstruction, as-built road analysis, and GIS palimpsest analysis) as well as building and managing databases of historical, archaeological and artifact data. Mr. Dworsky’s research interests are varied but share a common theme of trying to holistically understand the interconnectivity among sites. This holistic mental framework is partially due to his passion for sites related to the Atlantic World and its varied trade networks. Mr. Dworsky has been a member of ASNJ for several years and looks forward to bringing his experience and perspective to bear on getting more involved with ASNJ’s community and projects.
Please remember to join us at the January 2023 Quarterly meeting on the 21st to cast your votes!