who we are
meet our diverse team of technical professionals
We are anthropologists and archaeologists, environmental scientists, ecologists, project planners, managers, and geospatial specialists. Our technically diverse team works collaboratively to examine project needs from multiple perspectives and deliver thoughtful, integrative solutions. Our key staff and support personnel bring reputations for excellence, nationwide experience, and vast agency expertise unmatched by most small consulting firms.
Dee Ann Espinoza, MA, RPA
Chief Executive Officer
Contract Administrator, Principal Investigator
Photo: Minesh Bacrania
Dee Espinoza has more than 21 years of hands-on experience as a Cultural Resource Principal Investigator and Project Director in the Plains, Southwest, and Gulf States. During her career, she has supervised and performed cultural research studies on various land jurisdictions for both public and private entities. She meets the SOI’s Qualifications for Archaeologist (Prehistoric and Historic) and Historian. Her particular archaeological specialty is in faunal analysis and human osteology. She is also the founder, owner, and CEO of ECS.
She is currently the contract administrator for 20 on-going projects in various aspects of cultural, natural, and environmental services. In the past nine years, she has administered more than 245 projects with federal, state, tribal, and commercial clients.
Stephen W. Yost., MA, RPA
Regulatory Services Director
Principal Investigator, Quality Control Manager
Stephen Yost is a professional archaeologist with more than 27 years of experience in cultural resource compliance across the United States. As ECS’ Regulatory Services Director, he oversees company efforts in cultural resource management, historic preservation, and environmental services. He meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Qualifications for Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology and is currently permitted as Principal Investigator by numerous federal agencies and Tribes in both eastern and western states.
Stephen's experience includes an extensive background assuring compliance with Sections 106, 110, and 111 of NHPA; NEPA; NAGPRA; AIRFA; ARPA; and Section 404 of CWA, plus other military, federal, state, local, and tribal regulations. He has authored or contributed to more than 200 technical reports, including numerous EAs, EISs, and other NEPA documents; provided technical assistance in the preparation of Memoranda of Agreement, Memoranda of Understanding, and other compliance agreements; contributed to Integrated Cultural Resource Management Plans (ICRMPs) for numerous Department of Defense (DoD) installations. Projects have also involved coordinating and/or facilitating efforts with numerous federally recognized Tribes in the southeastern and southwestern US and Great Plains. DoD project experience spans Army/Army Reserve, Air Force, Marine Corps/Marine Corps Reserve, National Guard, and Navy/Naval Reserve facilities across the United States.
Christine G. Ward, PhD, RPA
Principal Investigator
Chris is a professional archaeologist with 30 years of experience in the archaeology of the Southwest and Plains in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. She meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Qualifications for Prehistoric Archaeology and has been permitted as Principal Investigator, Project Director, Direct Charge, and/or Direct Charge for Fieldwork by various states, federal agencies, and tribes. Since 1992, she has managed at the Principal Investigator and Project Director levels, the field, laboratory, research, and report writing and editing aspects of many projects. Resources identified on these projects span from the Paleoindian through Historical periods, including campsites, pueblos, villages, and historic mission, ranching, railroad, and domestic resources. Chris has completed over 150 field projects and has authored three magazine articles, dozens of papers, one published book section, and hundreds of gray literature reports.
Garry Baker, MA, AICP
GIS and Land Planning Analyst
Garry has over 20 years of experience in land use planning, GIS, stakeholder engagement, and project management. He was the project lead for the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area Visual Resource Inventory, completed in February 2021. Garry has authored plans for trail systems on BLM public lands, including the Electric Hills Trail System, Uncompahgre Singletrack Plan and Buzzard Gulch Trails.
Garry has extensive experience in municipal planning, with a focus on maximizing active recreation and design of outdoor spaces. Examples of his work include the Uncompahgre River Buffer Zone, City of Montrose Comprehensive Plan, Riverbottom Park Improvement Plan, and revitalization of downtown plazas. Garry is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP).
Michelle Hart, MA
Field Supervisor, Project Manager
Michelle has over 9 years of experience as an archaeologist. During her career, she has served in various capacities as Field Technician, Crew Chief, Field Director, and Project Manager for small to large projects throughout California and other western states, including Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. She is experienced with federal, state, and local regulations including Sections 106 and 110 of the NHPA, and (within California) CEQA and AB52. She has authored, coauthored, and contributed to numerous technical reports, cultural resource studies, and associated documents submitted to federal, state, and local agencies. She also has experience as federal agency staff, through past employment with the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service, giving her a unique perspective and approach to her work that includes an understanding of agency needs, goals, and expectations. Michelle has regional expertise in California and Great Basin archaeology and has extensive experience in the documentation and evaluation of both prehistoric and historic-era resources (including mining, ranching, homesteading, and military-related). She meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Professional Qualifications Standards for Prehistoric and Historic Archaeology. At ECS, Michelle’s responsibilities have included supervising fieldwork for multiple large-scale military range inventories in the southern California desert region. As part of this work, she has coauthored final reports and other deliverables for the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. She also conducts research and writing for cultural resource projects across the western United States.
Megan Fuller
Project Coordinator
Megan is a professional anthropologist with over 20 years of experience in natural and cultural resources compliance. She has had the pleasure to work on ethnographic projects in the American Southwest and Mexico, participate in government-to-government planning meetings and consultations, conduct Class I – III cultural resources surveys, and draft planning documents in compliance with Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Megan’s knowledge, skills, and abilities range from event coordination, public presentations, and literature review, to interviewing cultural experts, data analysis, and ensuring resulting reports meet regulatory requirements.
Jen Bowden
Project Manager
Jen has worked as an archaeologist and environmental consultant since 1995. She has conducted fieldwork for a wide variety of cultural resource surveys, monitoring and excavation projects in nine western states, as well as Florida, Mexico, and Ecuador. She has also authored or written contributions to many of the resulting technical reports, providing thoughtful, accurate, and thorough evaluations of cultural resources ranging from prehistoric lithic scatters to 20th-century industrial districts. Additionally, she has researched and written chapters for broader environmental studies (EAs, EISs, and EIRs) on topics ranging from geology and paleontology to visual impacts. Jen has become well-versed in the NEPA and NHPA regulations applicable to cultural resource management, as well as CEQA and other state, Tribal, and agency-specific requirements.
© 2022 Espinoza Consulting Services is a Colorado registered trade name for Espinoza Cultural Services, LLC.