VP of Gov't Affairs and Research Candidate

Michael Ligman

I currently serve as the Director of Cultural Resources for the Salt Lake City group of the firm Logan Simpson. I first arrived in Utah in 2011, a fresh post-grad school transplant from the East Coast. Since then, I have worked throughout Utah and the larger Intermountain West and Northwest regions and have had the opportunity to work with a variety of agencies, clients, and colleagues during this time. I have previously served as UPAC Treasurer from 2018 though 2022 and this experience only strengthened my appreciation for the community of professional archaeologists who work within the state and the important mission of UPAC. The office of Vice President for Governmental Affairs and Research is crucial to the operations and ongoing missions of the UPAC organization, especially during these challenging times. With the dynamic nature of federal and state regulations, priorities, and initiatives, it is imperative for UPAC to remain actively engaged and vocal throughout these processes. If elected, I will endeavor to demonstrate the same level of dedication, diligence, and organizational skills that characterized my tenure as UPAC Treasurer. Additionally, I will leverage the experience I have gained in the cultural resource management industry at Logan Simpson to effectively serve in this vital role.

VP of Gov't Affairs and Research Candidate

Peter Steele

I’ve been an archaeologist in Utah for fifteen years. I’m currently the Region Environmental Lead for Wilson & Company’s Rocky Mountain Region, overseeing all environmental work in Utah and Colorado and the senior archaeologist for Wilson across all of our offices. I started my career at UDOT and have also worked as a consultant at PEC and Horrocks. I’m especially passionate about helping new archaeologists enter the field and find rewarding careers. I love the opportunities UPAC provides to connect with other archaeologists in so many different roles and would be happy to continue serving as the VP of Government Affairs & Research.

Secretary Candidate

Tiffany Tuttle

Tiffany Tuttle Collins has a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in anthropology from the University of Washington. She has been working in cultural resource management for 15 years, the last 10 of which were in Utah. She is currently a science writer and report manager for SWCA Environmental Consultants. She has considerable experience writing a variety of cultural resource compliance documents for local, state, and federal agencies; has authored posts for the Utah SHPO’s blog page; and has been published by Utah Historical Quarterly. She is also an adjunct professor in the Anthropology Department at Salt Lake Community College, teaching online, lecture, and field skills courses since 2014. As secretary of UPAC, Tiffany would ensure thorough documentation of the council’s regular proceedings in order to facilitate communication and continued progress on tasks.

Secretary Candidate

Jacob Wilks

​I’ll keep this spiel short and sweet. I'm currently a crew lead with Logan Simpson, and have worked for Logan Simpson in a variety of roles and on all kinda of projects across Utah, Nevada, Oregon and Arizona since October of 2015. It's been an unending pleasure to be a part of this work and world. I admire all the folks who have volunteered their time and energy to help make UPAC operate and I want to do my part. I'm an inveterate and habitual note taker and would be honored to put that instinct to use, to help make sure the minutes taken are thorough and widely available, and to help wherever else a hand is needed.

Social Media Coordinator Candidate

Shelley Szeghi

Shelley Szeghi is the State Archaeologist for NRCS Utah and has been with the agency for the last eleven years. She is responsible for leading the Archaeological Program at NRCS Utah and ensuring that NRCS projects are completed in compliance with the NHPA. Prior to NRCS, she was an archaeologist with Yosemite National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and the Upper Basin Archaeological Research Project on the Kaibab National Forest. Her specialties include conducting archaeological inventories, team management, negotiating Programmatic Agreements and Memorandums of Agreement, and building and maintaining relationships with State, Federal and Tribal agency counterparts. What she enjoys most about NRCS Utah is having the opportunity to support Utah’s Agricultural Community and conducting archaeological inventory on privately owned lands. Without agencies like NRCS, the archeological record on these lands would be largely unknow. It's a privilege to be able to add this unique data to the archaeological record and assist our local farmers and ranchers implement their projects.

Webmaster Candidate

Deb Miller

Deb Miller is a long-time SHPOnian, but is no stranger to private-sector work, beginning her archaeology/GIS career mashup at URS (currently AECOM) and SWCA before transitioning to the State. With a love for cultural resources and desire to tinker in technology, Deb has helped the Records section transition from paper to entirely online over her 13-years at SHPO. In her time away from the work desk, Deb can be found outside with her family in the deserts of Utah or at home creating on her sewing machine.