Proposed 2026 Slate of Officers

President – Christian Davenport

Christian Davenport is the County Archaeologist/Historic Preservation Officer for Palm Beach County and holds Associate Graduate Faculty status at Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Chris received his Master’s in Anthropology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Among his many projects in south Florida, Chris oversaw the Boyer Survey of Lake Okeechobee following a record drought from 2007 to 2009, that resulted in the recordation of 33 new sites from the Belle Glade Period through the early pioneer era and he also continues work at the Dubois Mound. Chris believes strongly in developing and strengthening collaborative relationships between avocational and professional archaeologists across government, academic, and private sectors — one of the founding principles of FAS. In 2019, Chris was awarded the Ripley P. Bullen Award by the Florida Anthropological Society.

First Vice President – Eric Prendergast
Eric Prendergast is a Senior Archaeologist at Stantec working primarily on projects in Florida spanning historic and pre-colonial time periods. In the Tampa Bay area, in cooperation and consultation with descendant communities, Eric has gained particular expertise in relocation, excavation, and community-led management of lost and/or erased tribal and African American cemeteries. Eric has been an active participant in FAS meetings since 2012 and with his local chapter. Extending his interest in community service to FAS, he writes “I have come to understand that FAS is an organization with a legacy and continued ability of bringing together people who share a joy in archaeology.” (Note: An update to this biography may be provided by the candidate later today.)

Second Vice President – Christopher N. Hunt
A member of the Florida Anthropological Society since 2008, Christopher Hunt will continue to strengthen FAS as a welcoming home for professional, avocational, and public partners advancing heritage stewardship. He served as President of the Central Gulf Coast Archaeological Society (2012–2014), building experience in volunteer leadership, chapter engagement, and follow-through. Dr. Hunt is a principal investigator and archaeologist with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc., supporting projects across Florida and the broader Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. He holds a Ph.D. (2024) and M.A. (2014) in Applied Anthropology from the University of South Florida, emphasizing Florida archaeology. He brings a steady, service-oriented approach focused on collaboration, practical problem-solving, and respectful dialogue.

Recording Secretary – Rudolph “Rudy” Pascucci, Jr.
Rudy Pascucci is Executive Director of the Palm Beach Museum of Natural History and formerly, Director of the Graves Museum of Archaeology and Natural History. A Vietnam veteran with degrees in anthropology (B.A., Florida Atlantic University) and speech arts (B.A., Hofstra University), Rudy has taught science and English literature at public and charter schools in Broward and Palm Beach Counties and Military Science through ROTC. He has participated in archaeological projects in Ecuador and organized and/or led paleontological field expeditions in the western U.S. and Haiti. He served as President of the Broward County Archaeological Society from 1997 to 1999. Rudy seeks to contribute to FAS through development of new programs designed to reinvigorate and strengthen FAS chapters statewide. He holds a strong interest in the preservation of archaeological sites, too often destroyed in Florida’s development.

Treasurer – Bonita Lee
Bonita “Bonnie” Lee is interested in social and economic exchange between Florida’s prehistoric communities. Her expertise is in Landscape Archaeology, Data Science, GIS and remote sensing. Her approach is to determine the cost of mobility between archaeological sites - cost in terms of time and energy to travel. She has an extensive background in computer science. She holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Florida, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from University of Wisconsin, and is a candidate for an M.S. in Anthropology from Florida Atlantic University. She has archaeological experience as a crew member on South Florida sites along the Loxahatchee Slough and River, Las Olas River and Caloosahatchee River.

Director-at-large – April A. Holmes (third of three year term)
April A. Holmes, M.A., RPA, is a Senior Faculty Research Associate at the UWF Archaeology Institute and an Instructor for Archaeological Data Analysis at the University of West Florida. Specializing in the colonial history of Northwest Florida, she trains students through hands-on fieldwork and reporting. A member of the Pensacola Archaeological Society since 2003, April held multiple executive roles for the chapter from 2015 to 2024. She has served as an FAS Chapter Representative since 2021 and was elected to the FAS Board of Directors in 2024. For her contributions on the 2024 Annual Conference committee, she received the 2025 FAS President’s Award. She remains dedicated to providing a unified platform for students, professionals, and the public to exchange anthropological knowledge.

Director-at-large –Dorothy Block (second of three year term)
Dorothy Block holds M.A. (archaeology) and B.A. (cultural) degrees in Anthropology. She also has a B.A. in English (literature and theatre). She is a steadfast supporter of FAS. She chairs the FAS Journal Committee and has worked to modernize and bring The Florida Anthropologist to a global audience. Dorothy has authored journal articles about Vodou, Santeria and the archaeology of eastern Palm Beach County. She has worked in private sector archaeology for 15 years.

Director-at-large – Michele Cotty (first of three year term)
Michele Cotty earned her B.A. in Anthropology from CUNY–Queens College and her M.S. in Geomatics from the University of Florida. She started working in southwest Florida, integrating GIS and archaeology to advance cultural resource research in 2008. Her remote sensing work led to the identification and documentation of many additional sites in the Cape Haze and Rookery Bay areas, and continues publication efforts through The Florida Anthropologist on those projects. A Florida Anthropological Society member since 2009, Michele has presented at local chapters and helped coordinate the 2016 annual conference. She is passionate about encouraging contributions from diverse communities to enrich our understanding of the past and its connection to our future.