The Foundation for Ancient American Studies (the "Foundation") is a public benefit, 501(c)(3) tax exempt corporation formed in 2008 to ̶
· Conduct research, perform field studies, publish books and articles, disseminate information, create presentations, produce films, offer tours, collect and display artifacts, and otherwise increase understanding of Mesoamerican and related ancient American culture and geography; and
· Engage in any and all other scientific and educational activities permitted to an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
The Foundation will function in all countries where the Maya culture existed, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras, as well as the United States.

Funded Primarily by Donations

The Foundation will solicit funds in every state of the union, emphasizing the opportunities for personal involvement that will be extended to those who make contributions. Donations will be exempt from Federal income taxes, advance our work, and be greatly appreciated.

Production of DVDs

As new discoveries are made, the Foundation will publish them and create & distribute audio-visual presentations of those discoveries. We will also produce DVDs of existing Pre-Columbian sites, collecting and preserving information that is currently being lost or distorted. Sales of these documentaries will provide additional revenue.

Tours

We will be sensitive to the desires of those who contribute to the foundation, and if desired, conduct tours and visits to the ancient sites we will be studying. Some revenues are expected from this source.

Petroglyphs in the Western United States

Many Petroglyphs in the Western States of the U.S.A. appear to have some connection with the peoples of Mesoamerica. We will attempt to locate these, translate them, make the translations available to the public, and preserve these writings.

Create a Home

Ultimately the Foundation hopes to create an office-museum facility where it can, in cooperation with Mesoamerican governments, display artifacts and make them available for temporary loans to American and Mesoamerican museums and other interested organizations.

Foundation Board of Directors

Dr. Jerry L. Ainsworth, Voting Member, Director, President
A graduate of the University of Arkansas and Yale University, and a University professor for 40 year, Dr. Ainsworth has specialized in International Health. He developed a love for the Maya culture while working with indigent Maya villages in Central America, which prompted his research and many articles about ancient American cultures and writings. He served in the Canadian Mission of the LDS church.

Ellen Pierce, Voting Member, Director
Ellen Pierce, known as "Bibbit," attended Northwestern State University. She has served as an electroencephalograph technician, joint owner and office manager for a plumbing company, Technical Coordinator and Scholarship Director for the "A New You" program for women at BYU-Hawaii, and a business manager for several other firms. Ellen has worked in church youth programs for over forty years, including a University of Utah "at-risk" teenagers program for four years.

Gregg C. Revell, Director, Vice President
Mr. Revell has visited Central America 45 times in the past 30 years, exploring pre-Columbian ruin sites in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Costa Rica, and conducting Book of Mormon tours in Central America. A PADI-certified Rescue Diver, he has developed evidence for the existence of two under-water cities and their GPS locations, off the coast of Belize. For the past eight years, he has explored Utah, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona and Colorado, in the study of ancient petroglyphs. Gregg has been involved in a variety of businesses, focusing principally in the area of real estate development and sales. He served an LDS mission to the Southwest British Mission.

Roger K. Jones, Director
Dr. Jones holds degrees from the University of Utah and Washington University School of Dental Medicine. He has maintained a private practice in Bountiful, Utah, since 1975, and has served as President of the Utah Academy of General Dentistry and a Board member of the Utah Dental Association. A PADI-certified rescue diver, he has enjoyed diving on sunken cities off Central America. Dr. Jones has worked as an archeologist assisting in the excavation of the Nauvoo Temple site, cofounded businesses in the tourist industry, and is a frequent visitor to the museums and Maya ruins of Mesoamerica. He served an LDS Mission to New Zealand.

Stanford Stoddard Smith, Director, Secretary
A member of the Utah State Bar for 40 years, Stan practices in the areas of corporate and securities law. For the past decade he has served as a director and legal officer of the Foundation for Affordable Housing. During his legal career he has served in the Utah House of Representatives (where he authored the Utah Antiquities Act), lectured internationally in Strategic Planning for two consulting firms, worked as an Adjunct Professor of Business Law for the University of Utah, and co-founded companies in the fields of tourism, hydroelectric power, mutual funds, theater, and oil & gas. A former LDS missionary to South Africa, Stan served in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for more than a decade.

Dr. Raymond Briscoe, Director
Ray holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of Utah, and has devoted his life to research, teaching, and educational administration at the University (Stanford, USC, Michigan, George Mason, Utah State, and Westminster) and High School level. Ray has been an elected to the Davis County School Board for 12 years, and serves as president of Insight Research, a full service public opinion firm. Ray is a student of government, philosophy, and religion.

Kim Hosking, Director
Kim has spent over 30 years researching and visiting the ancient ruin sites of Mesoamerica and the American Southwest. She and her young family lived on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico for several years. While living there, Kim ran a guide service and ground operations for two different tour companies in Cancun Mexico.
Her love of Mesoamerica has taken her all over Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. Kim is a PADI certified diver. She graduated from the College Of Eastern Utah in 2000, with a degree in Anthropology. She has a Certificate of Internship from the Edge of the Cedars Anasazi Museum in Blanding, Utah where she worked as an assistant curator. Currently, Kim works at the Ephraim Elementary school in Ephraim Utah, teaching reading in the resource program. Kim is president of Stones of Light Mesoamerican Education Foundation, working to provide schools for the underprivileged Indigenous children of Mesoamerica.

Advisory Board of Directors

As time goes by, the Foundation will invite experts in needed sciences and administrative tasks onto an Advisory Board, which can be consulted by the Board of Directors when their expertise can be helpful. Names of these persons will be added at this spot on the web site.