How we're run

Anand Parekh, MD is a Chief Medical Advisor at the Washington, DC Bipartisan Policy Center focused on aging, prevention, and global health.

Prior to joining BPC, he completed a decade of service at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). As deputy assistant secretary for health from 2008 to 2015, he developed and implemented national initiatives focused on prevention, wellness and care management.

Andrew Towle has spent his professional life creating value for some of the world’s  best-known CPG companies, including Procter & Gamble,  Heinz, Georgia-Pacific, and  Kellogg’s. He was the CEO of private equity-owned Urnex Brands, which was successfully sold in 2017. Towle currently is a partner at S CAP, a food & beverage focused venture capital firm.

Towle grew up in India and Thailand and experienced first hand the many issues that WaterAid is committed to resolving. He has extensively lived and travelled globally. He joined the WaterAid America Board in 2018.

Cate is the Founder & CEO of Luminary, a community of empowered professional women with space for them to work, develop and connect. We thrive #InThisTogether
Before founding Luminary, she spent the better part of 20 years in financial services, with a demonstrated international career in Corporate and Investment Banking. Recently Cate decided to make a career transition to follow her passion and focus her efforts and impacts on gender diversity. Cate joined the WaterAid America Board in 2018.

Charlotte is a Private Equity investor at KKR where she leads investments in environmental and industrial services as part of the KKR Global Impact fund. Prior to joining KKR, Charlotte worked at The Boston Consulting Group in Houston, Texas. Having grown up between Louisiana and Thailand, Charlotte is deeply interested in issues surrounding water conservation and the nexus between environmental sustainability and economic development particularly as it relates to promoting solutions for vulnerable populations. Charlotte received her BA in Geosciences from Princeton University. 

Daniel is a partner at the law firm of Haynes and Boone, LLP, where he represents real estate funds, owners, developers and financial institutions in a broad range of commercial real estate transactions.  Daniel received his BA from Vassar College and his JD from Fordham University.

Desmond FitzGerald began his investment career in 1966 at J. P. Morgan after graduating from Harvard College. In 2005, he co-founded Holyoke Partners, a Fund of Hedge Funds as a Managing Principal.  In 2005, he established the Hope for Poor Children Foundation, which he serves as President and is a Trustee of the Aquaya Institute and Helen Keller International, before joining the WaterAid America Board in March 2011.

E. Robert Meaney is the former Chairman of International at Valmont Industries, Inc. of Omaha, Nebraska. He joined Valmont in 1994 and led the company's international operations and development. In May 2013, Meaney was appointed Distinguished Fellow at the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska. Meaney currently serves on the Boards of Princeton in Africa as well as WaterAid.

James Hunt is a Partner and Portfolio Manager at Tocqueville Asset Management, where he serves as Chairman of the Investment Committee and lead portfolio manager for the firm's International and Global strategies. Prior to Tocqueville, he spent 10 years as an executive in corporate finance at Lehman Brothers and Dillon Read, advising  corporations and governments globally on privatizations, mergers and acquisitions and capital raising transactions.

James also serves on the Board of World Connect, a not for profit focused on locally led development initiatives in the global south.

Marc Zimmer holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Maryland and an M.B.A in International Finance and German from Thunderbird School of Global Management. Marc has over 20 years of experience in sales and operations and currently serves as a Client Services Executive with Cisco Systems. He has served on the Aguayuda Board of Directors since April 2013, to help those in need of WASH solutions.

Nam Hee has 12 years of investment banking experience in New York and Hong Kong.  Until 2013, she was a Director in the Investment Banking Division of Barclays Bank in Hong Kong where she advised corporate clients on fixed income products.  Nam Hee started her career in the Public Finance division of Lehman Brothers in New York where she managed debt issuance for US municipal governments secured by water, sewer, and utility system revenues. She received her Bachelor of Science in Mathematical and Computational Sciences from Stanford University and a Masters in China Development Studies from University of Hong Kong. Nam Hee joined the WaterAid America Board in 2018. 

Sarah is President of TMX Datalinx, where she leads the growth of the information services division of TMX Group which provides a broad spectrum of real-time and historical data solutions to clients around the world. Ms. Ryerson's key areas of focus will include developing new products, implementing enhanced commercial models and expanding the business into new markets.  Previously, Ms. Ryerson led strategy and sales operations for Google Canada and before that, spent 8 years at McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant.  Ms. Ryerson is a graduate of Princeton University and holds an MBA, Strategic Management from Wharton Business School.

Regional Director, Latin America and Caribbean

An engineer by training, Joshua established WaterAid’s first-ever LAC office along Nicaragua’s underserved Miskitu Coast where he continues to live and work.

Chief of Staff

Katherine joined WaterAid in 2009 despite training in Classical Trumpet at the University of Iowa. She is the intersection of finance, admin, operations and marketing. 

Director of Strategic Partnerships

Sarah has an MA from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs and a BA in History from Columbia College and joined WaterAid in 2007. 

Director of Marketing and Engagement

Emily has a masters in journalism from the University of Maryland and a BA in American Studies from Wesleyan University. She has worked as a writer and content strategist for numerous publishers and NGOs. She joined WaterAid in 2017.

Chief Financial Officer

James joined WaterAid Australia in 2017 and moved to the New York team in 2020. He has 15+ years’ experience working in NGO, corporate and government sectors in finance, corporate services and audits. James spent eight years in NGO senior management and five as a director and treasurer on the boards of several non-profits. He holds a MBA/Law and is a Chartered Accountant with the ICAA.