Have You Met Sam?
My name is Sam and I serve as the Executive Director and CEO of The WASH Foundation (TWF), meaning I have the privilege of overseeing all operations as well as running all the programs and activities we do around the world.
What does your typical day look like?
One of the neat things about our organization is it’s so global and diverse in nature, no two days are alike! My primary job is making sure CTWF is fulfilling our mission to the greatest extent we can, so I spend a lot of my time mentoring the staff to ensure we’re moving the ball forward and doing the best job possible. It also means I spend time visiting our program sites to make sure the work is being done efficiently and effectively, in the most impactful and sustainable way.
Another part of what I do focuses on ways to grow CTWF to create as large an impact as possible; making it a large part of my job to ensure we have the resources necessary to run our operations. I work with donors and prospective partners who are interested in supporting our efforts to improve global health.
I also work with and meet other partners within international development areas (other non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, government organizations like USAID, and the United Nations, to name a few) in an effort to stay abreast with all the latest information and trends pertaining to global health, and to ensure CTWF is engaged in the most impactful programs and partnerships. In short, we want to make sure all the needs are being addressed as effectively and sustainably as possible.
What is your favorite part of working at CTWF?
There are two things I love the most working at CTW Foundation: our incredible team and impact we make around the world. We really have a phenomenal staff who are responsible for putting together everything needed to do what we do every day. Hands down some of the most amazing people I’ve had the honor of knowing.
As for our impact, there’s nothing like visiting these communities and seeing the result of our programs first hand. I love hearing all the success stories from the field. From meeting these amazing kids with their excitement for learning about hygiene and healthy practices, to meeting the mothers who are happy to be worrying a little less about the dangerous and often deadly hygiene-related diseases that could affect their children. Knowing our work contributes to a brighter future for these communities – there’s nothing more rewarding than that.
What were you doing before?
I’ve been working in the nonprofit space as a consultant and executive leader for 17 years now. Most of that time was spent with organizations working internationally. I also did a year-long stint as a professor teaching international business at Virginia Tech and I loved it! I’ve been working in this particular space since 2011 when I became CEO of Global Soap, which eventually joined forces with Clean the World in 2015.
Where in the world would you travel to next, and why?
I would love to visit Antarctica because it is the only continent I haven’t been to yet, and I absolutely love cold climates. Bhutan is pretty high on my list as well – it is reportedly the happiest country in the world. And I can’t forget about the Rainbow Mountains in China, they look beautiful. I’ve been lucky enough to visit 111 countries so far, but I think that has made me realize there’s so much more of the world to see, I can’t just pick one place!
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