CAWST

CEO: Shauna Curry, P.Eng.

Shauna is CAWST’s CEO. She joined CAWST in 2004, became head of CAWST’s global service provision in 2005 and led the development and expansion of CAWST’s service delivery model from 2 countries to its current network of over 300 clients in 69 countries. Shauna has worked in 14 developing countries, has experience in environmental engineering prior to CAWST and holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and Bio-resource Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan.

Directors

Anisha Karia is responsible for managing CAWST's financial and administrative resources and ensuring that the organization meets its statutory, regulatory, and internal governance obligations. Anisha was a CAWST volunteer before joining as a full time staff member in April 2011. Anisha comes to CAWST with 5 years of experience in the corporate sector with Solium Capital. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Development Studies and History from Queen's University.

Peter Thomson joined CAWST in June 2007 and provides training and consulting services for activities in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Peter has more than 15 years experience working in the humanitarian aid and development sectors focusing on water, hygiene and sanitation with a specialization in disease outbreak control and prevention. He has a Diploma in Construction and a Master of Science in Community Water Supply from Cranfield University, UK.

Tommy Ka Kit Ngai, M.Eng., Ph.D.
Director, Research Learning

Tommy Ngai joined CAWST in May 2005. Before joining CAWST, he was a Lecturer and Research Affiliate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, focusing on performance evaluation of technologies designed to remove arsenic from drinking water. His research led to the development of the innovative and awards-winning Kanchan Arsenic Filter (KAF). He then spent the next two years in Nepal working with local development agencies and government organizations to demonstrate the KAF effectiveness, and to expand the KAF implementation nation-wide. After joining CAWST, Tommy traveled to Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Zambia to conduct collaborative research programs on water, sanitation, and hygiene with local partner agencies, producing in-depth insights on the effectiveness, feasibility, and sustainability of various water treatment techniques, leading to evidence-based policy recommendations. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemical and Environmental Engineering degree from the University of Toronto (2001), a Master of Engineering degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology , USA (2002), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Engineering from the University of Cambridge, UK (2012), focusing on how NGOs can improve their implementation strategies to increase the impact and sustainability of their water programs.

Olivier Mills joined CAWST in November 2008 as an International Technical Advisor for Haiti and French Africa and is now responsible for developing CAWST's communication and knowledge management services. He holds a Master of Science in Water Management in Community Water Supply from Cranfield, UK, and a Master of Engineering with Honours in Civil Engineering from the University of Nottingham, UK. He has spent over 10 years developing his skills in the water and development sector through school and 5 years professional experience in Uganda, Burkina Faso, Mali, Congo, India, Tunisia, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zambia, Cameroon and Haiti.

Melinda Foran joined CAWST in October 2007 to deliver technical and consulting services to partner organizations within the Africa region. Melinda worked as a water and sanitation engineer in the Dominican Republic for two years where she implemented a comprehensive rural water, sanitation and hygiene program within a small community. While pursuing her masters degree, Melinda worked on innovative water technology projects on both a household and community scale in Ghana and India, respectively. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from Northwestern University, USA, and a Master of Science in Population and International Health from Harvard School of Public Health, USA.

Business Services

Carissa Hayward
Office Coordinator

Carissa joined CAWST in April 2010 to support the Business Services team. She brings with her a Bachelor of Applied Ecotourism and Outdoor Leadership from Mount Royal University, along with a combined 6 years experience working in administrative roles. Carissa has participated in two month long humanitarian trips to Africa and volunteers in preparing future teams and individuals to partake in these trips. She also volunteers in organizing and promoting Gulu Walk, an annual event to raise awareness on social justice issues in Africa.

Hassan Mohamed joined CAWST in February 2009. He has 15 years experience as Internal Auditor and Accounts payable supervisor with the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Center, United Arab Emirates. Hassan has extensive accounting experience, including: analyzing transactions, managing general ledgers and bank reconciliations and preparing budgets and financial statements. Hassan holds a double degree in Accounting and Computer Science from Southern University New Orleans, US. He is a designated Certified Public Accountant (State of Maine, USA), Member of the American Certified Public Accountants and is currently a CGA student.

Zoran Gligorov is the ICT Coordinator at CAWST. He is involved with CAWST’s web and knowledge products, and cares about the information and communication technology engaged at CAWST. Zoran comes from a Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe, where he was IT and Knowledge Centre Manager. Zoran has also worked in a USAID sponsored Decentralization Project in Macedonia where he led the ICT and e-Governance activities, managed development of finance and tax administration software and organized IT support for the Macedonian municipalities.

Education Program Development

Lisa Mitchell joined CAWST in November 2009 as an Education Program Developer for CAWST's youth Wavemakers program. In January 2012, she transferred to the role of International Education and Training Advisor. Lisa has over 12 years of experience creating resource materials and managing education programs in Latin America and Canada. She has worked with European Union funded projects, the GTZ and non-profit organizations. Lisa spent over five years developing environmental education programs in Bolivia and has also worked in Argentina, Paraguay, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Uganda and Zambia, as well as First Nations communities in Canada. She has a Masters Degree in Environmental Studies from York University with a focus on popular and environment education and an undergraduate degree in Women's Studies from the University of Victoria.

Taryn Meyers joined the Education Program Development team at CAWST in October 2009 . She holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science with an International Development specialization from the University of Western Ontario. She spent three years with Engineers Without Borders where she combined her passion for education and international development to lead the member education program and participate in school and public outreach. As a frequent traveller to Africa since the age of 1, Taryn was extremely excited when she had the opportunity to work as a CIDA intern in Ghana. Taryn brings her technical background and natural creativity to CAWST as a lead author of their Low Cost Sanitation and Rainwater Harvesting materials and coordinator of all illustrations for CAWST training materials. Taryn also provides field support to the Zambian WET Centre within the trainer capacity building process and competency validation program.

Moni joined CAWST in January 2012 as an International Education and Training Advisor. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Education and Advanced Graduate Diploma in Education. Moni has over 15 years of experience in facilitation, curriculum development and instructional design in the corporate, public and not-for-profit sectors. She has worked for universities and educational organizations in Canada, South Korea, Thailand, the Maldives, Malawi and Vietnam. She brings to CAWST a passionate interest in learner-centered education, collaborative learning spaces, and sustainable international development.

Erin joined CAWST in 2011. In 2007, Erin initiated, managed, and participated in See them Run, a fundraising initiative for African education. This adventure involved running 4200km across Africa. Erin has a passion for motivating youth to take action: since the run she has dedicated much of her time to public speaking to share her experiences and commitment to poverty relief. Erin recently travelled to Hawaii to speak at the Punahou Inspiration Week on Human Rights and Global Responsibility, and the University of Victoria Leadership Summit. She brings a Bachelor’s Degree in Education as well as several leadership awards, including United Way Youth Leadership and Teacher’s Student Leadership Award.

Sandy has been with CAWST since 2008, working as an International Technical Advisor for Asia. In 2011 she made a transition to join the Education Development Team. She has a background in water resource engineering, a Masters in International Development and Natural Resource Management, and has conducted sanitation research focusing on assessing the demand for latrines. Eleven years of technical work, graduate studies and experience in the field has given her a practical lens through which to approach the development of CAWST’s training materials. She brings a passion for travel, water and sanitation issues, inter-cultural training, and wholesome mountain living.

Training & Consulting

Betman Bhandari joined CAWST in April 2006. Betman currently provides training and consulting services in Nepal as well as in Lao PDR, Vietnam and Cambodia (Governmental Organizations). Prior to supporting the International Services team, Betman was instrumental in the development of CAWST's training curriculum. Betman has a PhD from the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Thailand, and completed two years SSHRC Post Doctoral Fellowship with the University of Calgary. He has over 10 years experience in drinking water and sanitation engineering in addition to substantial integrated development planning for national governments. He has been published for his work in rural water supply and sanitation.

Paul Earwaker joined CAWST in July 2008 to deliver technical consulting services to the Latin America and Caribbean region. Paul has six years of experience working in the construction industry as a Civil Engineer and four years of water and sanitation experience in Ethiopia, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. His water and sanitation experience includes biosand filters, rainwater harvesting and hygiene promotion. He holds a Master of Engineering in Architecture and Structural Engineering from the University of Sheffield, UK, and a Master of Science in Water Management from the University of Cranfield, UK.

Emilie Sanmartin has volunteered extensively with CAWST since 2009, donating over 300 hours toward developing CAWST's content on arsenic and fluoride, in translations and in training delivery in Calgary and Haiti. She holds a Master of Science in Water Management in Community Water Supply from Cranfield University, UK. Emilie has over three years professional experience in the humanitarian sector working in Ethiopia, Congo, Sudan, Paraguay and Haiti with Oxfam and other international NGOs. She is responsible for CAWST's service provision in French Africa and supporting training demand in Asia as well as the coordination of the translations of the training material in French and Spanish.

Tal Woolsey joined CAWST in September 2004 to provide training and consulting services for the African region. He brings four years of experience to CAWST in designing and implementing Household Water Treatment and Sanitation projects in Haiti. Since 2004, Tal has facilitated more than 35 workshops providing training in Household Water Treatment, Project Planning, Rainwater Harvesting for Domestic use, Project Implementation, Water Quality Testing and Community Health Promotion for Local NGOs in Angola, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Cameroon, Zambia, Uganda, Sudan, Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Tanzania, Kenya, Pakistan and Nepal. Tal studied Business Administration at Camosun College. He is also the co-founder of Clean Water For Haiti, an NGO focusing on the implementation of biosand filters in Haiti.

Eva started with CAWST as an intern in July 2010 as a translation coordinator, with the Argo Global Program supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education. During the past year, Eva worked with our Education Program Development team and also supported our Training and Consulting in delivering training in Calgary and Guatemala. Eva holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering with a specialisation in Environmental Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Development and Humanitarian Aid. In 2009, she participated in a University volunteer program in the Western Sahara refugee camps located in Tindouf, Algeria.

Michelle joined CAWST in 2011 to coordinate the Wavemakers Youth Program. She brings three years of experience in public education as a middle and high school teacher. Michelle holds an undergraduate degree in International Development Studies, and has coordinated overseas volunteer trips for Canadian youth and adults to Bolivia and Guatemala. Michelle also has a passion for environmental education, demonstrated by her work as an educator for the City of Calgary’s Waste & Recycling Division, and her recently self-published children’s book about trees.

Suneel Rajavaram joined CAWST as an International Technical Advisor in January 2012. Suneel has Bachelors and Masters degrees in Civil Engineering, a Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Management, and a Certificate in International Project Management. Suneel has 15 years of experience in sustainable development and emergency relief. Most recently he has been working with World University Service of Canada as Field Director for their Planation Communities Project in Sri Lanka, and prior to that as Watsan Delegate with the International Committee of the Red Cross in Darfur.

Pieter De Voecht joins us as our International Technical Advisor for Haiti and Francophone Africa. Pieter brings with him more than 10 years of experience in logistics and WASH in humanitarian aid. He has worked with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as Logistics Coordinator and Logistics Training Manager, and most recently as Training Development Advisor. As Training Development Advisor, Pieter developed, set up and managed decentralized training services in Afghanistan, Kenya and Uganda. Other countries that he has worked in include Angola, DR-Congo, Niger, Pakistan, Philippines, and Sudan. Pieter speaks French fluently and holds a degree in Electro mechanics from the Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst in Mechelen, Belgium.

Ev Dewar is our new WET Centre Manager. Ev has eighteen years of experience as a consultant providing project management expertise to systems and business process reengineering projects in a number of industries; preceded by nine years in systems implementation, project management, technical customer services and general management. Ev’s work has been primarily in Health Care, Government (municipal, provincial & federal) and Utilities industries with her most recent clients being FortisAlberta, Enmax, Telus, and the City of Calgary. Prior to working with us, Ev volunteered with CAWST as co-facilitator for World Water Day several times, helped format/standardize some of the training documentation last year and facilitated a planning session that kick-started our first WET Centre project with CIDA.

Andrew Appell, M.Sc.
International Technical Advisor: Asia & Africa

Andrew Appell joined CAWST in April 2012 as an International Technical Advisor to provide training and consulting services in Cambodia and throughout Africa. Andrew brings past experience from his work as a Demand Planner for a large municipal water utility in the USA, Denver Water, as well as WASH work for various international NGOs working in Bolivia, South Sudan, Malawi, and Nigeria. Some of his past work has included conducting needs assessments, hygiene promotion, implementing water kiosks, and recommending appropriate WASH technology. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Business/Economics from Colorado College, USA, and a Master of Science in Water Management in Community Water Supply and Sanitation from Cranfield University in the UK.

Samuel Gil, TSMEL
International Technical Advisor: Latina America

Samuel Gil English joined CAWST in April 2012 and is originally from Spain. He comes with a background in Technical Industrial Logistics and he studied at AFT-IFTIM in Brittany, France. Between 2004-2012 he worked for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) as a Logistics Coordinator, Project Manager and Water and Sanitation Technician. His work has primarily focused on supporting health ministries and administration regarding WASH in post-conflict situations while working with refugees, displaced populations and migrants in DR Congo, Sudan, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Morocco, Mauritania, Republic of South Sudan and Ethiopia.

Communications

Brianna Strumm, M.S.W.
Communications and Community Engagement Coordinator

Brianna Strumm joined CAWST in June of 2011. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Studies, a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work, specializing in Leadership and International Social Work. For the last 10 years, she has worked as a social worker alongside a range of vulnerable populations including women, children and youth in Canada, England, India, and most recently South Africa where she completed an internship in the Department of Social Development, contributing to a CIDA-funded National Child Protection Surveillance Study. She brings to CAWST a background and interest in writing, research, teaching, community development and public outreach.

Palash Bagchi joined CAWST in March 2009 and brings over 17 years of non-profit fund development, marketing and development program management experience. Prior to CAWST, Palash worked for Concern Worldwide, UNCDF/UNDP, Credit and Development Forum, and PACT/USA in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. Palash holds an MBA from the University of Liverpool, UK, and a Masters in Development Economics from the University of Rajsahi, Bangladesh.