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Kristen Bastis - Episode 68
69 Plays7 years ago
Profiles in CRM features short interviews with CRM professionals from all experience levels and educational levels. I ask a standard list of questions and see how each person answers them based on their experience.
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Transcript
Introduction and Sponsorship
00:00:00
Speaker
You are listening to the Archaeology Podcast Network. The Archaeology Podcast Network is sponsored by Codify, a California benefit corporation. Visit codify at www.codifi.com.
Episode Introduction and Theme
00:00:14
Speaker
This is Kristen Bastis, and you're listening to Profiles in CRM.
00:00:21
Speaker
Welcome to Profiles in CRM, episode 68. I'm your host, Chris Webster. Profiles in CRM asks CRM professionals nine simple questions. The answer's very wildly, depending on their experience and education. Because of the nature of contract archeology and how small this field really is, some people choose not to reveal their name or the company they work for. Stay to the end of the show to hear how you can have a chance to answer these same questions.
Background of Kristen Bastis
00:00:41
Speaker
All right, we're here on Profiles, and here's the first question. What is your name and who do you work for?
00:00:47
Speaker
My name is Kristin Bastis, and I work for the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation in Washington, DC. Okay, and what's the highest degree you've earned? I have a master's in anthropology with a focus on archaeology from the University of Connecticut. Okay, how long have you been working in CRM? I started working in CRM in 1993 in Connecticut, and then I've worked in 19 states, Puerto Rico, and Germany.
00:01:16
Speaker
Nice. Nice. That's awesome. Uh, and that leads into the next question. Where have you worked? Um, maybe just lift off, list off some of the States, maybe not all 19. Sure. Uh, started in Connecticut, uh, then went to work at the center for American archeology in Illinois, um, Southern California, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Massachusetts, New York, Florida.
00:01:45
Speaker
Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Idaho, and Missouri. Nice. So aside from California, a lot of Midwest and East Coast stuff. Yep. Yeah. So this, this kind of leads to fieldwork type questions.
Career Progression and Achievements
00:02:02
Speaker
So feel free to answer this however you want. But the question is, what is the position you usually have, uh, in CRM projects or situations and what's the highest position you've ever held? So.
00:02:12
Speaker
So right, I started out like everybody else, field tech. And then I, about two years in, I took a position on this pipeline project that was not particularly desirable. So anyone who worked for the company with the ability or the seniority to get themselves off the project did so. So I took the opportunity to step in and learn and advance using that space created by others.
00:02:42
Speaker
And within two years I was crew chief and running a hundred miles of pipeline and the crews on them. So you just have to keep your mind open and step into those voids when you see them. So then I was looking to become like an assistant project manager on my way to becoming a project manager
00:03:15
Speaker
But I didn't have a master's at the time, so I was kind of stuck being a crew chief. And so I went back to grad school, did some more CRM work after grad school as like a project archaeologist, senior archaeologist, running the projects, which is what I wanted to do my whole career up to that point.
00:03:42
Speaker
I came to this place where I had met my goal and was kind of wondering what my next step was going to be. All right. Well, so moving on to some more, more fun questions here. Um, what is the best thing that's happened to you that's related to being an archeologist and this can be personal or professional? Um,
00:04:07
Speaker
Well, meeting all the people that I've met, you know, I've been around the country and I know a lot of people in CRM and outside of CRM, you know, meeting friends in my apartment complexes and activities and stuff. And I'm still friends with a lot of them on Facebook. That was that's a great thing for me because I do have so many people that I know across the country that I don't get to see.
00:04:36
Speaker
using Facebook as a tool to keep those relationships up has been really helpful. As I move around the country and don't always have good friends right away, it takes a little bit of time. But yeah, the people, I think, and seeing the country, living in Idaho for seven years and learning how to rock climb and just all the opportunities that you get
00:05:04
Speaker
if you do have the chance to move around. And next question, what is the biggest thing that you would change that would make being a CRM archaeologist better?
Challenges and Career Reflections
00:05:16
Speaker
Um, so I really believe that field tech position, crew chief positions, and CRM is not a career. It's punishing physically, mentally, emotionally, not to mention financially,
00:05:34
Speaker
It's also not beneficial for CRM as a whole to have experienced people limiting themselves to a small part of the profession. And it's really nice to be outside in the sunshine and the woods or field and not in an office. But if you're a field tech for a really long time, you're not doing your part for the profession to move up and or out.
00:06:04
Speaker
to make space for recent graduates to get their start. And you're also not doing the best for yourself and your future. Yeah, that's a good point. That's what I think. I think you don't try to make a career out of being a field tech. Right, right. Try to move up, get some other skills. Yep. OK. What is your career goal in CRM? Where do you see yourself ending up?
00:06:33
Speaker
So for a long time, about 13 years of my career, my goal was project manager. I saw that as the thing that I was going to attain and be for the rest of my career and retire from that. But I had the opportunity to be the chief of cultural resources at the City of Rocks National Reserve in Idaho.
00:07:03
Speaker
And I spent seven years there overseeing about 16,000 acres of almost pristine landscape and working. I wasn't employed by the National Park Service. I was employed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation who had an agreement with the Park Service that the Idaho Park Rangers would run the Park Unit, the National Park Unit.
00:07:32
Speaker
It's the only place in the country where it happens. So we had two systems, two fiscal years, two budgets. It was a little crazy, but it was a great opportunity to be a land managing archeologist. And it was beautiful out there. I was learning how to rock climb and getting pretty good at it. But I was, you know, I'm in my,
00:08:00
Speaker
mid-forties now and I'm single and living in rural Idaho really wasn't getting me anywhere to find a person to spend my life with. So I looked around and I had a brief stint in Missouri for Missouri State Parks, but then the
Current Role and Future Aspirations
00:08:27
Speaker
the job at the ACHP was posted and I applied for it thinking that was never going to happen but they hired me and so now I have to rethink the whole goal thing because where do you go after the ACHP?
00:08:51
Speaker
You know, kind of true of Section 106. So, um, where do you go after that? I think it's president. I'm not sure. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, well, I'm thinking about, um, I am thinking about running for office. Nice. Not really sure what office, um, and where it would be. Um, but maybe.
00:09:18
Speaker
You might see me on a ballot somewhere. Um, so, okay. Well, we'll run, uh, we'll run campaign ads at the APN for you. Okay. Great. Nice. Nice. All
Advice for Aspiring CRM Professionals
00:09:32
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right. So final question. If you could give an undergrad thinking about a career in CRM, one piece of advice, what would it be? Okay. So long time ago, I was watching some fluffy morning news show.
00:09:47
Speaker
And there was an actor on the show and he said, if there's any other profession that you would be just as happy doing, do that. And I think that's pretty good advice for archaeology. If there's something else that you would be just as happy doing, do that. But if nothing else is going to make you happy, then go for archaeology or CRM.
00:10:17
Speaker
It is difficult, an uncertain career path. The works, you know, now the work is more and more project-driven and so, you know, short-term things. But yeah, so that's the thing I would say. The other one is don't try to make a career out of being a field tech.
Podcast Participation and Production
00:10:44
Speaker
Show notes for this and all episodes can be found on the Archaeology Podcast Network website at www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com/. At that page you'll also find a form that you can fill out so you can be interviewed on the show. Interviews take less than 30 minutes and you don't need any special equipment. Thanks for listening and I'll see you in the field.
00:11:06
Speaker
The show is produced by Chris Webster and Tristan Boyle and was edited by Chris Webster. This has been a presentation of the Archaeology Podcast Network. Visit us on the web for show notes and other podcasts at www.archaeologypodcastnetwork.com Contact us at chrisatarchaeologypodcastnetwork.com