Team & Partners

Jenna MacEwen is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Water 4 Life Guatemala. She earned her Business Management degree from Westfield State University in Massachusetts before traveling through developing countries, where she witnessed the devastating lack of access to basic resources. After personally battling a severe waterborne parasite that led to a four-year gut healing journey, Jenna became dedicated to ensuring families have access to safe water, the foundation for breaking cycles of systemic poverty. Over the past seven years, she has led Water 4 Life Guatemala in providing clean water access and education to more than 35,000 people, implementing greywater systems, and empowering Indigenous female leaders to advocate for health and environmental sustainability within Guatemala.

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Patricia “Memé” Gorchs is a Program Director at Water 4 Life Guatemala, where she leads the design and implementation of community-based WASH programs in rural areas of the Lake Atitlán basin. Her work focuses on expanding access to safe water through decentralized solutions, including household filters, biodigesters, and greywater treatment systems, while strengthening environmental education and community leadership.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and has professional experience across NGOs and international private sector companies, bringing a strong strategic and organizational foundation to her work. She is currently pursuing a postgraduate degree in Environmental Science and Sustainable Development, further strengthening her technical expertise in environmental and community-based solutions.
Patricia has an international background shaped by years of travel and service, including time living in India, where she engaged in community-based and volunteer initiatives. She has also been actively involved in Rotary programs, including Interact, Rotaract, and a Rotary Youth Exchange in Germany.
At Water 4 Life, Patricia combines strategy, partnerships, and field implementation to support communities in developing locally led, sustainable solutions. She is particularly passionate about empowering women and community leaders to take an active role in protecting water sources and improving long-term wellbeing.

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Charlotte is dedicated to advancing sustainable development through a systems-based approach grounded in environmental stewardship. Her work is driven by a strong conviction that protecting the Earth is essential to fostering resilient societies and supporting future generations in harmony with natural ecosystems.
With a particular focus on water as a foundational element of life, she explores the dynamics that shape ecological and human systems. Drawing on scientific methods and observation, Charlotte has developed expertise in designing and strengthening both internal structures, such as organization, strategy, and governance and external frameworks that enable innovation and sustainable progress.
She brings a thoughtful, purpose-driven perspective to her work, committed to contributing to solutions that support the long-term health of natural and human systems.

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Emilie joins the Water4Life team with strong experience in social change and in working with vulnerable populations. She has a degree in Public Policy Leadership and Religious Studies from the University of Mississippi and a Master’s Degree in Public Service from the University of Arkansas. She has previously worked in various service oriented roles throughout Central America. In 2015, Emilie worked for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, teaching English Grammar and Writing in Tela, Honduras, and in 2018, she worked as Program Director for Give and Surf, an education and community development NGO working with the local communities of Bocas del Toro, Panama. She brings her writing and storytelling skills to the team as our Communications & Grants Coordinator!

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With a background and graduate degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a passion for storytelling through photo and video, Mikey serves as Water 4 Life’s environmental engineer and marketing coordinator. His work, from the United Nations Environment Programme in Panama to hydraulic research across Spain, Uruguay, and England, and now in Guatemala, is driven by a commitment to making clean water a universal right, not a privilege.

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Lana Selbee is a Community Economic Development (CED) Professional with a CED Certificate from SFU and an MBA in CED from Cape Breton University, Canada. She has extensive experience in entrepreneurship, as well as organizational leadership and development. Lana has been an entrepreneur, a marketing and development consultant, and most recently the Executive Director for a nonprofit in the Yukon, called Yukonstruct. In her five years with Yukonstruct, she helped oversee its sustainable growth from a quarter million to 2 million in revenue annually, and the expansion of the team from 8 to 16 full and part time employees. Lana is passionate about supporting organizations that address social issues. She also enjoys writing and creating art in her free time.

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Kelly Winegarden Hall is a leadership expert and business strategist with over 30 years of experience guiding organizations through growth and transformation. She is the founder of Live L.A.R.G.E., a consulting and coaching firm focused on building high-performing, purpose-driven teams.

Most recently, Kelly led the Dutch innovation venture Niaga, redesigning everyday products for 100% material recovery and reuse through circular design. She currently serves as an Operating Partner at Atlas Holdings and as a Board Member at NovaVision, supporting sustainable growth and value creation.

Kelly is the author of Love Works: Transforming the Workplace with Purpose and Authenticity (2025). On the Water 4 Life board, she contributes strategic insight in organizational development and long-term sustainability.

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Parul Sharma is the leader of the digital innovative initiatives at Sierra Club; the largest grassroots environmental organization in the U.S. She oversees the development of Sierra Club’s Advocacy Platform that empowers and connects online and offline activism for 100+ chapters and groups. During her nearly 10 years working at Sierra Club, she has been involved in campaign building, budget management, resource management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic leadership. Parul earned her BSBA in computer engineering from Auburn University, and formerly worked as a product manager, digital production manager, and system analyst. Having grown up in a small village in Asia, Parul has firsthand experience dealing with a lack of sanitary drinking water. She now wants to help others to be able to have access to basic necessities and equal economic opportunities.

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Dale began his career on the London Stock Exchange as an options broker before transitioning into the social impact sector. He read Law at the University of Manchester and went on to hold senior leadership roles at Cancer Research UK, Impetus (the private equity foundation), and Sentebale, where he served as Director of Development. Throughout his career, Dale has led strategic growth initiatives, major fundraising efforts, and complex organizational transformations, including oversight of one of the largest mergers in the UK nonprofit sector.

He first came to Lake Atitlán in 2014 and remains deeply connected to the region. Now based in Tynemouth, United Kingdom, he is establishing RiverTyneLegal, inspired by models that elevate the legal rights of nature. Dale brings strategic planning and long-term sustainability thinking to the Water 4 Life board.

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Nikki Appleton holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and is a co-founder of Water 4 Life Guatemala. She has served as the day-to-day manager and Director of Marketing and Communications for nearly five years, demonstrating a deep commitment to providing clean water and promoting sustainable water practices in Guatemalan communities. Nikki serves on the board of a large nonprofit organization that provides educational services to communities in Los Angeles. She also works as an Executive Assistant to a successful philanthropist in Los Angeles, gaining valuable insights into innovative nonprofit management strategies.

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Will Leitch has 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including 15 years as a grant writer for U.S. and international organizations. He is the Senior Vice President of Public Sector Funding for Capitol Funding Solutions, a Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm. He attended

St. John’s College in Santa Fe and earned his M.A. in Urban Ministry from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in Massachusetts. Will has a passion for Latin America and, in particular, for human services and social justice causes. Will is working to become fluent in Spanish. He is a runner, hiker, and writer and recently completed his first novel. He has two sons and two young granddaughters. He makes his home in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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Matthew Henry has been a financial advisor for the past 8 years. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geography from the University of Central Arkansas. After graduation, he spent a year living in India. He then spent three years working for non-profit organizations, prior to his current job at Independent Capital Management. Matthew has been a board member of Water4Life Global since 2020. He currently resides in South Africa, where he is involved with the local community, and continues to do nonprofit work through his church.

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