get to know our team
Here at Thirst Project, our team is comprised of two different teams who both make all of our work on the ground possible, as well as facilitate all our domestic initiatives to raise as much money & awareness as possible.
In-Country Staff
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Sibusiso Shiba
Kingdom of eSwatini Country Director
Sibusiso Shiba is one of the kindest & joyous people you will ever meet. Seriously. Sibu's love for life is infectious and we're so lucky to have him on our team. Sibu oversees and leads all of our operations in the Kingdom of eSwatini! Besides breaking into song on long car rides and saying "It's Nice to Be Here" wherever he is at in the world, Sibu loves spending time with his family.
Sibu is also probably the most impressive person on our team. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Adult Education with Majors in Rural Development from the University of Swaziland (UNISWA). He also holds an Advanced Diploma in Project Management from the Institute of Commercial Management (ICM) in the UK. On top of this, Sibu also holds a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, a PRINCE2 Foundation certificate, a Diploma and Certificate in Adult Education & a Chartered Business Administrator Certificate from Chartered Association of Business Administrators in Canada. (As if that weren’t enough, Sibu also has a certificate in Portuguese!)
Before coming to lead The Thirst Project in eSwatini, Sibu served in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy, Department of Water Affairs, Rural Water Supply for 11 years as an Assistant Community Development Officer, and then a Senior Water Development Analyst. In both positions he was in charge of community training on water supply and sanitation systems.
Catch him at our annual Thirst Gala or take a trip with us to Eswatini and you'll see for yourself why Sibu is one of kind!
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M'duduzi Mnisi
Kingdom of eSwatini Project Officer
Have you ever been lucky enough to meet, M’duduzi Mnisi? M'dudzi's hobbies include watching Football (also known as Soccer in the States) and listening to different types of music. He is 37 years old and his favorite meal is rice with beans and roasted vegetables. M’du is a Project Officer on our team and similar to Mpendulo, his role is to monitor projects implementation, mobilize communities during projects implementation, train water committees and more throughout each step in our project implementation process. M’duduzi’s favorite quote is, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.’’
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Vincent Okeng
Uganda Country Director
Vincent oversees and leads all of our operations in Uganda! Prior to his post with Thirst Project, Vincent has been building clean water projects since 1993 through J.O.Y. Drilling in Uganda. Vincent believes that in addition to providing clean water we are also creating community mobilization which will help address any problem Uganda faces. Under his leadership, J.O.Y. Drilling acquired multiple drilling rigs which helps reduce the cost of W.A.S.H. projects for countless stakeholders!
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Luis Menjivar
El Salvador Country Director
Luis oversees and leads all of our operations in El Salvador! Prior to his time work with Thirst Project, Luis worked in community development in his country through Gente Ayudando Gente. The only thing Luis loves more than relaxing on the beaches of La Libertad is waking up everyday and working with Community & School leaders to provide access to clean water across the country. If you're ever lucky enough to visit, Luis is sure to provide an authentic "taste" of El Salvador!
US-Based Volunteer Staff
Interesting Fact
Seth is obsessed with sharks! He has cage dived with Great Whites eight times!
Favorite Quote
“It's kind of fun to do the impossible.” - Walt Disney
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Seth Maxwell
Founder
Seth was raised in Indianapolis, Indiana and grew up with a love of sharks and being on stage. Seth started acting at the age of seven and moved out to California to earn a B.A. in Acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts- LA. Although all paths lead to acting, Seth’s direction changed completely when one of his friends educated him about the global water crisis. Motivated to take action, Seth gathered seven of his closest college friends together, purchased over 1,000 water bottles, and went to the streets to spread awareness about the global water crisis. After partnering with thousands of schools and millions of students, the Thirst Project has raised millions of dollars to build water, sanitation and hygiene projects in 13 countries bringing safe, clean water to more than half a million people for life! Seth has spoken internationally at over 300 schools, countless churches, and numerous conferences including TEDx Hollywood Youth Conference, the NEXUS Global Youth Summit, addressing the United Nations General Assembly, and meeting with Obama Administration Officials at the White House. For all of this work and more, Seth has been named to Forbes 30 under 30, honored with the VH1 DoSomething Award, and even rang the opening NASDAQ bell on Wall Street.
Interesting Fact
Evan sleds down hills on blocks of ice. For fun.
Favorite Quote
“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says IMPossible. Always. ALLWays.”
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Evan Wesley
Vice President of Student Activation AKA Chief Big Kid
Just because he’s the tallest, doesn’t mean he’s all grown up. Evan is our resident big kid and hype master, so you can always bank on him having the energy of a golden retriever puppy. If you’ve ever heard Evan give a Thirst Project presentation, you’ll know why we’ve got him educating all of you about Thirst Project and how you can help end the global water crisis. If you want to get involved, start a campaign, or fundraiser for clean water, call Evan, because he needs more friends. Evan bleeds blue with deep roots in Kentucky, which is why he loves to chase sunsets, fireflies, and apple pie. After graduating from the University of Kentucky with a degree in Environmental Science with a focus in water resources, Evan decided to ditch his degree and become a ziplining guide. When this adrenaline junkie put down the ropes, he hit the road with Thirst Project as a Road Warrior. Evan fell in love with the road life and the students of Thirst Project, leading him to work for Thirst Project full-time and calling LA home. What does Cody Simpson, jorts, Our Lips Are Sealed, and Disney have all in common? Evan is obsessed with all (shocker).
Interesting Fact
At one point, Luke had 11 living grandparents.
Favorite Quote
"You can't go anywhere before you've been somewhere."
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Luke Romick
President of Domestic Operations
Luke is the jack of all trades here at Thirst Project. He’s the biz dev connect, the behind the scenes go-to guy for events and parties for clean water, and manager for all things marketing. Luke is one of our most seasoned staffers. He’s worked with Thirst Project in a number of different roles since 2013 and is based in Los Angeles, CA making this place a little bit more sunny (yeah, it’s possible). Luke hails from Lebanon, Ohio. He graduated from Denison University (Go Big Red!) with a degree in Communications and Environmental Studies. After hours, he dabbles in graphic design and hip-hop. Win Luke’s love over with a nice cup of black coffee and bow down to his 2016 Wooden Citizenship Cup (awarded to the best role model in college sports). We all want to grow up to be like Luke.
Interesting Fact
I know every digit of pi, just not the order they go in.
Favorite Quote
"What is today, but yesterday's tomorrow?" -Eugene Krabs
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Andrew Reese
Director of School Programs
Put your hands together to welcome our newest team member, Andrew, who has actually been working with Thirst Project since 2015 as a student leader and then again in 2020 as a Trailblazer helping students in the Carolinas learn more about Thirst Project. A recent graduate of the University of South Carolina, Andrew earned his Bachelors in Marketing & a Masters in International Business - a perfect combination to lead our Education programs. Andrew's favorite thing about working with Thirst Project has always been the mutually beneficial relationships that are made as students have the opportunity to expand their perspective of the world, what they are capable of & how we get to end the global water crisis together. In his limited free time, Andrew enjoys playing pick up basketball, nailing conversion kicks for his rugby team and sharpening his mind through playing chess & reading history books that inspire him to continue to set the bar high.
Interesting Fact
Damon once hiked 30 miles in a single day at Yosemite National Park!
Favorite Quote
"I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph and there is purpose and worth to each and every life." -Ronald Reagan
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Damon Brown
Outreach Coordinator
Damon may be a grandpa of four and our only team member with an AARP card, but he is more than just his 10% Waffle House discount! Damon has run 11 marathons, swam with sharks, and taught more than 75,000 show choir students in his 38-year choreography career! Damon graduated from Ball State University and grew up a fan of Indianapolis Colts & Cincinnati Reds. Damon is also humbled to be our Outreach Coordinator and creator of Show Choir's For Thirst, bringing in support from churches, philanthropists, school music programs, any anyone else wanting to join our army of world changers. If you really want to win Damon over, you can take him to one of the few Broadway shows he hasn't seen and help him add to his collection of 80 playbills already lying around his house.
Interesting Fact
Gina eats dessert for breakfast.
Favorite Quote
"Train your mind to see the good in every situation"
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Gina Mitzman
Chief Happiness Officer
Need some extra sun in your life? Either talk to Gina or make her give you a spray tan. Gina literally brings the sunshine to Thirst Project HQ. She studied Sociology at LMU, so she’s who you want reading your horoscope, giving love life advice, or a having as a listening ear. She’s basically a family and relationship expert. Gina enjoys ballet, watching murder investigations, and animal advocacy. We can only do our jobs well because of the hard work Gina puts in–she’s the true MVP! Call our offices and you’ll get a brief glimpse of this magical amazing human named Gina.