Staff

Our Partners

M Kovac | CEO
M Kovac is a seasoned archaeological anthropologist with over three decades of expertise in heritage management. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from the prestigious McGill University and is certified by the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA). Throughout his illustrious career, he has successfully led hundreds of projects across Europe, encompassing all facets of archaeological and cultural heritage, including excavation, conservation, and preservation. His extensive experience and academic credentials make him a respected authority in his field

Rose Hull, PhD

Rose Hull joined SHS in 2004 following the completion of her doctoral studies at the University of Toronto. Specializing in historical archaeology, she has directed and managed numerous archaeological assessments and mitigations in Ontario, in addition to extensive fieldwork in both Ireland and North America. Katherine is the Director of the Business Affairs Division and a project manager for Stage 3-4 historical site excavations.

Judith Brown, MSc

Judith Brown has been a practicing archaeologist in Ontario since 1996. Currently, as Director of the Environmental Assessment Division, she oversees a team of dedicated staff from both our Toronto and Burlington offices, responsible for archaeological assessments triggered by federal, provincial and municipal infrastructure.

Andrew Townsend, PhD

Andrew Townsend his career with SHS in 2002 and currently holds the positions of Partner and Senior Archaeologist. He is the Director of SHS’s Mitigation Division, responsible for overseeing Stage 3 and Stage 4 archaeological mitigation projects throughout the province. His responsibilities include senior project management, resource allocation, and quality assurance for all deliverables. Dr. Riddle is a lithic analysis specialist and is professionally-licensed by the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. He also serves as Manager of Information Technology, and is responsible for overseeing all of SHS’s information management systems, equipment, and processes.

Andrew Da Silva, PhD

Andrew Da Silva is founder of SHS and has 50 years of field and administrative experience. He holds an Honours BA from the University of Western Ontario and MA and PhD from McGill University, all in Anthropology. He is also an Associate Member of the Graduate Faculty at Western University (Anthropology) in London. He has published widely on both Indigenous and early colonial Great Lakes history and is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award of Heritage Toronto and the Smith-Wintemberg award of the Canadian Archaeological Association.

Liam Atchison, MA

Liam Atchison has been involved in archaeology in Ontario for over thirty years. He received his Honours BA in Anthropology at the University of Western Ontario and his MA at the University of Toronto, where he is currently completing his PhD. He is a Senior Associate and Senior Archaeologist with the firm. Martin has served as Project Director on hundreds of single and multi-phased assessments and has directed many of SHS’s archaeological assessments in northern Ontario.

Toni Paul, MA

Toni Paul is a retired SHS Partner and the former Manager of SHS’s Environmental Assessment Division but will continue as a Senior Associate to work with the new EA team. His duties will include project management, report writing and property inspections, and he will continue to provide analysis skills for precontact ceramics.

Harley Steiss, MA

Hayley Steiss joined SHS in 1983 after completing a BA and MA in Anthropology at the University of Toronto. She is the principle lithic analyst for the Toronto office and directs several archaeological resource assessments throughout the province each year. As a Senior Associate and Senior Archaeologist, Debbie possesses invaluable management experience in finance, human resources, information technology, as well as laboratory and collections management systems.

Our Staff