Meet the speakers
Kimberly Kenyon
Kimberly Kenyon is the NC Office of State Archaeology’s head conservator and principal investigator for archaeological site 31CR314, La Concorde/Queen Anne’s Revenge. She is a graduate of the Nautical Archaeology Program at Texas A&M University, where she completed her MA in Anthropology. Previously, she earned a BA in maritime studies from Texas A&M University at Galveston, minoring in both English and Anthropology. Kimberly has over 15 years of experience as a conservator and archaeologist and has worked on maritime and terrestrial projects in Texas, North Carolina, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Turkey. She served as interim head conservator and an archaeological diver for the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA) in Bodrum, Turkey, and continues to serve INA as a research associate. Kim also teaches a graduate-level introduction to archaeological conservation course at East Carolina University and currently holds a seat on the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council. She earned SCUBA certificates from PADI (Basic, Advanced, and Rescue) and TDI (Nitrox) and is an AAUS scientific diver trained through East Carolina University. She has nearly 500 dives with varied conditions and experience: blackout, full-face mask, dry suit, and decompression diving.
Recent publications include “Queen Anne’s Revenge Coal Conundrum: Origins of Coal Found in
Association with a Historic Shipwreck,” International Journal of Nautical Archaeology and a
chapter in Dead Man’s Chest: Even More Archaeology of Piracy edited by Russell Skowronek
and Charles Ewen.
DAYTIME PRESENTERS
Thomas Adams
Dr. Adams is a physical therapist who has practiced in the Cleveland Area for approximately the last 25 years. In his off hours, he is an amateur historian who has spent the last few years immersing himself in the mystery of the loss of the car ferry Marquette and Bessemer No. 2. He has authored a book about the loss titled Where is the No. 2? The Mystery of the Marquette & Bessemer No.2. He has presented several live talks throughout the Cleveland area and has served as a content expert on the WQLN’s PBS show Secrets of the Abyss: Shipwrecks of Lake Erie, Season 2, Episode 5. He has had a broad interest in varied historical topics and has always enjoyed a good story. Dr. Adams holds a Bachelor of Arts from Bowling Green State university, a Master of Science from Walsh University and a Doctor of Science from Wheeling Jesuit University.
Michael Passwater
Michael Passwater has been an Electronics Engineer for the past 32 years and has been the
Electronic Industry for 46 years. As an Electronics Engineer, he knows the value of finding the
details in any problem. He has a passion for researching the details of historical shipwrecks and
rescues, especially in Great Lakes history. He has spent years, researching the history of the U.S.
Lifesaving Service and the shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. Researching the intriguing stories of
the men and women that played critical roles in the development of the rich maritime history
along the east coast of Lake Michigan has led to this publication of his first book, “Historical
Sarah Miller
As a scuba instructor and YouTuber, Sarah uses her brand Azul Unlimited to educate scuba divers, build community, and spread the message of ocean conservation.
Sarah is infatuated with nature and lives in a van with her dog, Abby. Vanlife allows Sarah to explore the land and sea throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada, sharing everything with her online community along the way. She organizes meetups, teaches PADI Courses, and leads international expeditions throughout the year.
In addition to operating Azul Unlimited, Sarah is a consultant, videographer, content creator, and social media manager.
David Mekker,
A long-standing member of the Niagara Divers’ Association, is Chair of annual Shipwrecks symposium held in Ontario. He has held that position for the last 25 years, and has been instrumental in bringing what began as a small show to the successful world-class event it is today.
Dave was certified in 1989, trained in Nitrox and Cave diving in 1992, and has since moved into deep and Trimix diving, with over 1,200 logged dives. His enthusiasm and “drive to dive” led him into underwater photography in 1992. His photography has centered around Great Lakes shipwrecks, resulting in awards at events such as the Ford Seahorses Great Lakes Film Festival. In 2000,
Dave discovered a new passion for underwater videography and made many presentations with the late Joyce Hayward.
molly sampson
Molly Sampson is the Executive Director of the Maritime Museum of Sandusky. A native of Northwest Ohio and a BGSU Alumna, she is passionate about sharing her love of history. She hopes to see you at the Maritime Museum soon!
roger roth
Roger Roth is a former science teacher and has been diving and filming underwater since 1988.
He's earned nine international first-place awards for underwater video production and has
authored dozens of educational videos for schools and educational outreach programs around the
world. A partial client list for Roger includes the Discovery Channel, the U.S. Navy, the Nature
Conservancy, Save the Manatee Club, Aggressor Fleet, Ltd., MV FeBrina and Walindi
Plantation in PNG, Loloata and Tufi Dive Resorts in PNG, Peter Hughes’ Star Dancer,
Kasawari-Lembeh and Cocotinos Dive Resort in N. Sulawesi, Indonesia, MY/Aeolus in the Red
Sea, Jean-Michel Cousteau and the Ocean Futures Foundation.
