Our Committee

Jenny Kent is a Maritime Archaeologist, BSAC Dive Leader and a HSE Part III Surface Supplied diver. She currently works for MSDS Marine and champions site security on our protected wreck sites. Jenny is passionate about archaeology having acquired a degree and Master is Maritime Archaeology from Southampton University. Jenny has also worked for Leicestershire Police and is the current Chair of the Leicester Police Heritage Crime Team.

Dave Johnston is a senior tutor for the NAS, running NAS courses around the UK and the world. He is an avocational underwater archaeologist and sports diver who has learned his archaeology through the NAS training scheme (currently Part 3, working towards Part 4) and by using that training to get involved in various projects. He is the Principal Licensee of the Warship Hazardous Prize Designated Wreck and also volunteers with the Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology. He has also run NAS projects at Stourhead Gardens. A PADI Dive Master and BSAC OWI, Dave is the boat officer and webmaster for the NAS’s dive club (www.nasac.org.uk). He is also a member of the NAS Management Committee.

Jane has been diving wrecks for a very long time. She has an MA in Maritime Archaeology from the University of Southampton and is a Fellow of the Nautical Archaeology Society. Her special research interests include WW1 trawlers, early steamships, and the fisher men, women and boats from the fishing industry of the late 18^th century to the early 1920s. She is also a Vice President of the British Sub Aqua Club, and for many years was the wrecks and underwater cultural heritage advisor to BSAC. Jane is keen that all divers, from every organisation, should be given the opportunity to be involved in recording our underwater heritage.

Jezz has had a keen interest in archaeology since a family holiday to France in 1970 visiting many Roman sites.  He is a former submarine marine engineer officer who embarked on diving after leaving the Royal Navy.  A keen avocational underwater archaeologist, Jezz has learned most of his underwater archaeology through the NAS training scheme and membership of CISMAS, working primarily with the team on HMS Colossus.  He has also worked as a volunteer on the HMS Invincible project.  A NAS Assistant Tutor, Jezz is a BSAC Advanced Diver, OWI and HSE Scuba qualified.   

Mel got into maritime archaeology in a round about way, but is strongly committed to stewardship of our underwater cultural heritage. She started scuba diving after qualifying as a registered nurse in 2003, quickly becoming an instructor for her local diving club. It was not until 2009 that she enrolled in her first Nautical Archaeology Society course, but from there she progressed through their qualifications and is now a NAS instructor. Whilst she remains a keen scuba diver and instructor she is now also undertaking a masters degree in Archaeology at Leicester University.

Ginge started nautical archaeology through the NAS and has gone on to co-author and produce the Basic Archaeology Diver course using the PADI Distinctive Speciality certification process. He is the Officer In Charge of the MOD Joint Service Sub Aqua Diving Centre in Plymouth, the Joint Service Adventurous Training Diving Officer and the Principle Licensee of the 1685 HMS Coronation protected wreck site off the Rame peninsula Cornwall. Ginge dives both commercially and recreationally and promotes the greater inclusion of avocational maritime archaeologists, project team workers and greater public outreach and support.

Alison is a Director and Project Manager at MSDS Marine with extensive experience in the management of historic shipwreck sites, volunteer involvement, community engagement and education initiatives. Previously Alison spent ten years with Historic England managing England’s protected wreck sites and working with the licensed teams and volunteers who work on the sites. Prior to this she worked for Hampshire and Wight Trust for Maritime Archaeology (now the Maritime Archaeology Trust) running their education and outreach initiatives. Alison is also a Nautical Archaeology Society Trustee, a PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor and an owner of Go Dive SCUBA store. She loves talking to people who love protected wreck sites so if you are ever visiting Go Dive do say hello!

Terry is the Maritime Archaeologist, National Listing and Marine Team, Historic England. His main responsibilities are managing public access to England’s Protected wreck sites, the licensees and their teams, who volunteer to be custodians of those wreck sites.  A former Metropolitan Police Detective, who specialised in Homicide and Child Protection investigations, he now applies some of those skills in the management of our protected maritime heritage.  Terry is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, member of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, member of CIfA Marine Archaeology SIG, CIfA Heritage Crime SIG and a Maritime Heritage Crime Adviser within Historic England.