PHILIPSBURG:---- During the 26th Congress of the International Association for Caribbean Archaeology (IACA) held on St. Maarten from July 19-25th, a new Board of Directors for the international association was elected for the term of 2015-2019. Among the new IACA Board members was the inclusion of a new position on the Board for a Student Representative, for this position was elected St. Maartener and former SIMARC student, Christopher Velasquez, who is currently studying archaeology at Brooklyn College, New York.
Also elected for the position of President to the IACA Board for the coming four years, was Dr. Jay Haviser, the St. Maarten Archaeologist. Dr. Haviser has held the position of President of IACA previously in the 1990s. The new IACA Board consist of; Dr. Jay Haviser (President, St. Maarten), Dr. Jorge Ulloa Hung (Vice-President, Cuba), Ms. Christina Giovas (Director, USA), Dr. John Crock (Director, USA), Ms. Quetta Kaye (Secretary, UK), Mr. Gerard Richard (Treasurer, Guadeloupe), Mr. David Hayes (2017 Congress Chair, St. Croix), and Mr. Christopher Velasquez (Student Rep., St. Maarten), as seen in the photo.
It was in part due to the excellent organization of the 26th IACA Congress on St. Maarten, which resulted in these new Board member representations. Indeed the Organizational Committee of the 26th IACA Congress, most of whom are from SIMARC, deserve additional positive credit for this important international achievement for St. Maarten. The members of the Organizational Committee were: Dr. Jay Haviser (Chair), Mr. Paul Ellinger, Mr. Chris Velasquez, Ms. Elsje Bosch, Ms. Amanda Ferrier, Mr. Alex Richards, Ms. Glenderlin Holiday and Ms. Beryl Henriquez, seen in the photo.
As well, during the 26th IACA Congress held on St. Maarten, students of the Youth and Science programs of SIMARC on St. Maarten and SABARC on Saba, made presentations about their research over the last two years.
