George Yap – Executive Director
George provides overall leadership to and is responsible for the management of WaterCan’s programs, operations and finances, both in Canada and overseas, in accordance with WaterCan's stated purpose, vision and goals.
George brings 20 years of international development not-for-profit experience to his leadership role. He has worked with Canadian, British, African, and Asian non-governmental organizations and served as WaterCan’s International Program Director for 10 years.
George has been a resource person to the Canadian government and other international development organizations at various water and sanitation conferences and workshops in Canada and around the world. He presently serves as an Advisor to RBC's Blue Water Project, a charitable grant program to support global solutions for freshwater preservation and conservation. George also serves as the Coordinator for the Canadian NGO coalition Sanitation and Water Action Network. George holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a Master of Environmental Studies in Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University.
Andrea Helfer – Public Engagement and Communications Coordinator
Andrea's passion is building community. She believes in bringing people together, leveraging connections and talents, for the greater humanitarian good. In her role she is responsible for managing online and offline programs, events and publications aimed at engaging Canadians of all walks of life on the issues of clean water and sanitation. Andrea has worked with NGOs both in Canada and abroad including the Varqa Foundation in Guyana, Cornerstone Foundation of Belize and the Canadian Make Poverty History campaign. Andrea holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen’s University in Sociology and a Master of Social Work from Carleton University.
Leslie Moreland – Program Officer
Leslie works with the International Program Team to oversee the organizations operations in Africa and is responsible for overseeing the Clean Water for Schools program. She also contributes to WaterCan’s policy, advocacy and public engagement activities in Canada. Leslie has worked for various NGOs including PLAN Nicaragua, Aga Khan Foundation in India, and World Literacy of Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science and International Development from Queen’s University.
Emily Royal – Foundations and Major Gifts Coordinator
Emily is responsible for the development of relationships with foundations and individuals by telling the WaterCan story and communicating the transformative results of donors’ generosity. Emily previously volunteered with Youth Challenge International in Zanzibar, Tanzania. After completing her project, she travelled around Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda. In order to continue her involvement with development and easterm Africa, she began volunteering at the WaterCan office and soon after came aboard as Administrative Assistant. Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Development Studies and Spanish from Dalhousie University.
Laura Wilson – Finance and Administration Officer
Laura is responsible for coordinating the accounting and finance functions in the WaterCan office, including the preparation of the monthly and year-end financial statements, administration of the monthly giving program, and conducting financial analysis. Laura first joined the WaterCan team part-time as Finance Assistant while completing her final year of university. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Marketing and a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting, both obtained from the University of Ottawa.
Christina Benotto – Administration Assistant
Christina is responsible for managing incoming donations, as well as overseeing daily office tasks. She graduated from Carleton University with a Honors Bachelor of Arts degree in International History.
Jenna Wilson - Finance Assistant
Jenna is responsible for assisting the Finance and Administration Officer in her daily activities, including processing donations and issuing tax receipts. She is presently in her first year at University of Ottawa studying Commerce.
Eric J. Schiller – Technical Advisor
Eric provides technical assistance to WaterCan projects in Africa. He is a water resources engineer and a retired professor from the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Ottawa. He has lived and worked in Africa (Tanzania and Senegal) for eight years, serving as the head of the Hydrology Department at the University of Dar es Salaam for four years and as the director of a five-year project dealing with water resources technology transfer in Burkina Faso. He has also participated in many technical missions in Africa with international development agencies and various NGOs. Eric holds a PhD in Hydrology from the University of Iowa.
Banner photo credit: Peter Bregg
