Staff
Paul Faeth is the Executive Director of Global Water Challenge. The goal of GWC is universal access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene education. Launched by a diverse coalition of corporations, foundations, and aid organizations, the GWC is a unique partnership to build healthy communities and provide sustainable, replicable, and scaleable solutions to ensure the availability of clean water and safe sanitation.
Before joining the GWC in January 2007, Faeth was Executive Vice President and Managing Director of the World Resources Institute for five years. He was responsible for day-to-day operations at WRI including human resources, finances, operations and strategic planning, and supported external functions including fundraising and public relations.
Prior to that position, he lead the Economics Program at WRI, where he directed several efforts including collaborative work with industry on climate change policies; research on the sustainability of agriculture in the United States; research and implementation work on the application of emissions trading to improve water quality; and an assessment of trade and its impact on the environment. Faeth was WRI's Liaison to the Sustainable Agriculture Task Force of the President's Council on Sustainable Development organized by President Clinton. He directed WRI's effort to help a power company mitigate its carbon dioxide emissions through forestry activities in developing countries, resulting in the first project ever funded with the intention of balancing carbon dioxide emissions. Faeth previously worked with the International Institute for Environment and Development and the USDA's Economic Research Service. He holds degrees in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Florida and in Resource Policy from Dartmouth College.
Tanvi Nagpal is the Director of Water and Sanitation Initiatives at Global Water Challenge. In this capacity, she is responsible for developing eligibility criteria and identifying projects for funding; supporting the Steering Committee in assuring effective project oversight and evaluation by developing evaluation and reporting processes; collaborating with research institutions in reviewing and evaluating project effectiveness and sustainability; assuring effective information dissemination, industry lessons learned and best practices; and overseeing the preparation of periodic reports for donors, the Steering Committee and the Expert Advisory Group.
Dr. Nagpal, an Indian citizen, has wide experience in international development policy research and program management. Her career has focused on the role of communities in managing natural resources and influencing government policy. For over ten years, Dr. Nagpal worked in the East Asia Environment and Social Development Unit at World Bank, where in addition to policy analysis and program management, her responsibilities included managing budgets and reporting to donors.
Prior to joining the World Bank, she worked at the World Resources Institute. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member and advisor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University. Dr. Nagpal is the author of several reports and scholarly articles on sustainability and urban environmental policy. She received a PhD in political science from Brown University.
Sweta Daga is the Communications Manager at Global Water Challenge. She is responsible for developing and leading the implementation of GWC’s communications strategy to raise the level of public awareness around the global water and sanitation crisis.
She supervises activities related to the development of the plan including research, organizing and leading discussions, and developing communications materials and milestones. She also works to establish relationships with journalists to promote the issue and manages communications consultants to monitor and evaluate communication efforts.
Sweta has been focused on environmental issues since working in India where she focused on projects involving rain water harvesting and organic farming. She has also worked in Australia with The Biennale of Sydney, the biggest contemporary art show in the country. Prior to GWC, Sweta worked at Fenton Communications, a progressive media relations firm, where she worked with clients who focused on environmental issues.
She graduated with dual degrees and distinction in Political Science and Public Relations from Boston University.
Maia Smith works for the GWC as a research and administrative assistant. She runs the day-to-day activities of the GWC, providing administrative support to the team. She keeps track of financial data and legal responsibilities, drafts GWC documents and reports, and manages routine correspondence and contacts. She provides information to team members as needed through both extensive research on broad topics and intensive searches on specific questions.
Maia joined the GWC team with an interest in microcredit and community development after assisting a community-run effort to build a library in Peru. She graduated from the University of Virginia, with a dual degree in Latin American Studies and American Government and is fluent in Spanish. As an undergraduate, she spent several months in Peru as a researcher, student and volunteer.