Our Team

Our team is made up of a full and part time staff, plus graduate-level interns, and senior directors and advisers. We’re a mix of Mexicans and international residents, technologists and community organizers, researchers and educators — united by our dedication to public health and welfare.

Board of Directors

  • Bruce Janklow had a forty-two year career in advertising, marketing and strategic planning. He was the Senior partner and/or CEO of three different organizations and in his last role served as an executive consultant and change agent for small and large clients including Dow 100 companies. Bruce has also been a board member of several 501(c)3 foundations including Big Brothers and Big Sisters of NY and the Audubon Society of Mexico. He was a founder and President of a foundation to assist the parents of teens at risk and was a senior advisor for Catskill Mountainkeeper (a regional environmental action group) and helped lead a successful campaign to achieve a ban on gas fracking in NY State. Bruce has been living in San Miguel since 2007 and also spends part of the year in the Catskill Mountain region of NY State where he is a member of the board of advisors for the Catskill Art Society. Bruce is also a fine arts photographer and has had both one man and group shows in the U.S. and Mexico.

  • Agustin Madrigal, has been the Director of Salvemos el Rio Laja for 11 years and coordinates conservation, soil restoration, and water projects in local rural communities as part of the National Program in Watersheds and Cities, funded by the Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, A.C.

  • Joshua is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and is currently the Director of Financial Reporting at Guggenheim Partners, a financial services institution. Prior to joining Guggenheim Partners, Joshua worked at Protiviti, an audit and consulting firm, performing IT security and compliance audits around the world. Joshua leads the Budget & Finance Committee for Caminos de Agua, and he works closely with the Executive Director to develop yearly budgets and consolidated financial reports for the organization.

  • George Terrell has been a community organizer and social justice activist for 45 years. A lawyer by training, his current practice is limited to the pro bono representation of several non-profits. He is one of the founders of Caminos de Agua and has worked in Mexico since 2006, first with indigenous communities in Chiapas in capacity building programs teaching earthblock construction and later in Guanajuato with Caminos. Since the early 1980’s he has helped lead Project Neighbors (Neighbors Corp.) a grass roots community organization in Valparaiso, Indiana. Using local volunteers to help improve the lives of marginalized people, Project Neighbors has built a childcare center and a community center serving a diverse population, a health care center now serving the uninsured and under-insured in five counties, and has built over 70 homes and two women’s shelters and operates a community radio station - WVLP. George also serves on the Board of the Asset Based Community Development Institute. In his earlier years, he worked as a union organizer and in union democracy campaigns in the Steelworkers Union.

  • Charlie has a background in advanced materials (metals and ceramics) development – spending 10 years at a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory and +10 years in industry working at international manufacturing operations. He specializes in the development and deployment of appropriate technologies for emerging economies, in areas such as alternative energy, improved cooking appliances, clean water, and sanitation. Dr. Sellers is familiar with a very wide range of materials and technologies, using them to solve problems employing a human-centered design approach to engineering. He believes in the value of mentoring startup companies, using his experiences in the business world to encourage social entrepreneurs to commercialize new products that will make a difference. He has been with Catapult Design since it evolved from the San Francisco chapter of Engineers Without Borders and enjoys working in areas such as test development and data analysis, quality assurance and risk management, manufacturing in limited-resource settings, and field deployments for new product testing. He now resides in San Miguel de Allende and supports the Caminos de Agua Technology Development Team in a variety of areas but specifically with the production and commercialization of the Aguadapt water filter.

  • Dave Barrett is a retired nonprofit fundraising and management professional living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Formerly based in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts and the San Francisco Bay Area, he raised tens of millions of dollars in operating, capital and endowment funds over a 30 plus-year career as a consultant and Director of Development for a wide range of cultural, educational, and health-related nonprofits. He has served on the Boards of several community organizations in both parts of the country, and in 2015, was named one of the top 25 most “dedicated, creative and influential Berkshire County residents” by Berkshire Magazine. Barrett also had a concurrent career as a professional musician, and is now devoting the bulk of his time to creating visual art.

  • Dr. Adler is a teaching fellow at University College of London, one of Caminos de Agua's main University partners, in the Department of Civil, Environmental & Geomatic Engineering, and he is also the founder of IRRI-Mexico. Dr. Adler has worked in the Independence Watershed region for years; he was involved with an early water quality study of the region in 2005-2006 and ultimately installed numerous rainwater harvesting systems in rural community elementary schools to combat the high arsenic and fluoride contamination they were encountering. He received his Ph.D. in 2014; his thesis entitled: Application of filtration and silver-ion based disinfection to purify rainwater for potable uses in rural communities of Mexico. These rainwater systems are now maintained by Caminos de Agua.

  • Bio coming soon

  • Javier is an active architect with over 18 years of experience with a keen focus on Water Sustainability. He has completed a wide variety of projects in several parts of the world including Germany, the US, Dubai, and Mexico (www.toniclab.mx). Born and raised in San Miguel de Allende, Javier has always been aware of the issues but most importantly the opportunities that the water crisis in our region represents in our society. His Master thesis “Cachinches Green Corridor” has been considered by Adaptur and GIZ Germany as one of 3 projects that have the potential to stop the effects of climate change in our watershed. This lifetime project is a proposal to regenerate the ecological corridor and create a Linear Park on the Cachinches Stream in San Miguel de Allende; restoring its perennial flow and reactivating the environmental services of this important body of water for the benefit of the entire community.

  • Lyn Knox worked at the Francis Family Foundation for 20 years as a Program Officer for their grant-making program before retiring and moving to San Miguel de Allende in 2017. Previously, Lyn worked as the Director of Private and Family Foundations of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation. Lyn has “worked in philanthropy in one form or another for 30 years. From the Peace Corps in Africa, to six years with the San Francisco Mayor’s Office, through experiences on the staff of two California non-profits and as a consultant grant writer before returning to Kansas City.” Lyn began volunteering with Caminos de Agua in 2017 before joining the board in 2019. She is the founder of the organization’s Institutional Funding Committee, and she works closely with the Executive Director on grant opportunities.

  • Robert Lerner is a biologist, technologist and serial entrepreneur. A veteran of start-ups in renewable energy, outdoor gear, and technology development, his business experience spans start-ups, fundraising, product development (multiple patents), sales and marketing, and full-charge financial responsibility. Rob advises on biochar and bioenergy in Costa Rica, Panama, and Mexico, where he has resided since 1996. Rob is the former Board President of Caminos de Agua from 2016-2019 and recently took on the role of CEO of Aguadapt Inc.

Past team members

Jennifer Ungemach, Operations Coordinator, 2012 - 2018

Jeff Rottler, Operations Coordinator, Instructor, Ceramic Filter Production, 2011 - 2018

Aaron Krupp, Research and Technology Development Coordinator, 2016 - 2019

Chantal Kronenburg, Communications Coordinator, 2016 - 2019

Billy Thurston, Water Quality Monitoring Coordinator, 2016 - 2019

Paco Guajardo, Associate Director, 2018-2020

Melissa Landman, Development Coordinator 2019-2021

Filiberto Baltazar, Water Filter Production

Ismael Rodriguez, Water Filter Production

Technical Advisors

Having technical advisors is crucial for a small technological NGO, as they provide specialized expertise and guidance that enhances the quality and impact of our projects. Their knowledge in areas such as water quality, geochemistry, and sustainable design allows us to implement innovative and effective solutions. Additionally, their experience helps us navigate complex technical challenges, ensuring that our interventions are scientifically sound and aligned with best practices. This collaboration not only strengthens our technical capabilities but also builds our credibility and trust with the communities we serve and the broader scientific and development communities.

  • Josh Kearns, Ph.D.

    Chief Technical Advisor - Assistant Professor NC State University

    Aaron Krupp

    Technical Mentor & Advisor, former staff member

    Matthew Polizzotto, Ph.D.

    Arsenic Geochemistry - Associate Professor University of Oregon

    Peter Knappett, Ph.D.

    Water Quality Monitoring - Assistant Professor Texas A&M University

    Charlie Sellers, Ph.D.

    Board of Directors, Production Optimization and Quality - Catapult Design and Engineers Without Borders

    Ilan Adler, Ph.D.

    Board of Directors, University College of London, Rainwater harvesting systems and design

    Dennis Taylor, Ph.D.

    Local Technical Advisor - Chemistry

    Larry Dworsky, Ph.D.

    Local Technical Advisor - Arsenic Quantification and Electrical Engineering

    Michael Schaefer, Ph.D.

    Jay Bullen, Ph.D.

    Kyle Shimabuku, Ph.D.

    Pascal Salaun, Ph.D.

Volunteers & Fellows

  • Water Testing Volunteer

Past Long-term Fellows & Volunteers

  • Eammon Ridgley, Technical Fellow, MEng Chemical and Energy Engineering.

    Ayomide Olabampe, Technical Fellow, MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham

    Maya Anderson, Volunteer with the communications team.

  • Karina Bautista,BSc in Environmental Sciences from National Autonomous University of Mexico, one year scholarship to work on the promotion of rainwater harvesting systems as well as the dissemination of the water situation throughout the region

    Johanna Le Pors, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, double degree in Water, Sanitation and Environment (ENGEES, Strasbourg, France) and WASH in developing countries (Cranfield University, UK)

    Cristina Lopez, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, WASH in developing countries (Cranfield University, UK)

    Stephan Calvet, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK. 6 month placement, 2019-2020.

    Calum Stewart, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK. 6 month placement, 2019-2020.

  • Miguel Finguerut, Engineers Without Borders Technical Fellow, MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK, Associate Member of the Institute of Chemical Engineers. One year placement, 2018-2019.

    Matthieu Carrière, SAFAD Technical Fellow, One year placement, 2018-2019. Transition to become Caminos de Agua Research and Development Coordinator in 2019.

    Nina Ommerborn, BSc International Land and Water Management, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

    Mathilde Poulle, MSc Water and Sanitation for Development, Cranfield University, UK

    Pilar Cabrera, MSc Water and Sanitation for Development, Cranfield University, UK

    Martijn Eikelboom, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, MSc Environmental Science, Wageningen Universtiy The Netherlands

    Caleb Davis, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, civil engineer focused on infrastructure design. He volunteered with Caminos de Agua's Research and Development Team to improve ceramic filter production and help further the development of groundwater treatment technologies.

  • Stephan Calvet, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK

    Álvaro Gutiérrez, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, BSc Environmental Engineering, University of Guanajuato, Mexico

    Melissa Landman, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, BSc Mechanical Engineering, University of Delaware, USA

    Sarah Hartman, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, BSc Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, USA

  • Fernanda Arce, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, BSc Civil Engineering, Instituto Tecnológico de Durango, Mexico

    Simona Dossi, Engineers Without Borders UK, MEng Chemical Engineering, University of Edinburgh, UK

    July Gracient, College of International Agro-Development (ISTOM), France / Cranfield University, UK

    Martijn Eikelboom, Caminos de Agua Technical Fellow, BSc Environmental Science, University of Applied Sciences Van Hall Larenstein, The Netherlands

  • Billy Thurston, Engineers Without Borders UK, MEng Civil Engineering with Study in Continental Europe, University of Bristol, UK

    Sarah Mitchell, Engineers Without Borders UK, MEng Civil Engineering, University of Sheffield, UK

    Elena Diek, MSc Integrated Water Resources Management, Technical College Cologne, Germany

    Chantal Kronenburg, MSc Applied Communication Science, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

    Cameron Plese, MA Sustainable International Development, Brandeis University, MA, USA

  • Olivia Hobson, Engineers Without Borders UK

  • Will Mitchell, Engineers Without Borders UK

  • Javier Sierra, Engineers Without Borders UK

Get in touch.

Interested in learning more about our work or collaborating with us? Whether you have questions, ideas, or simply want to chat, we’d love to hear from you! Reach out and join us in creating sustainable water solutions for our communities.