“WHEN THE WELL’S DRY, WE KNOW THE WORTH OF WATER”
Benjamin Franklin
Stories
Find out more about the places, people, projects, processes, and plans
780 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD ARE WITHOUT ACCESS TO AN IMPROVED WATER SOURCE
Who We Are
Cold Water International’s team is made up of problem solving practitioners, educators and innovators who believe they can make a difference.
Tom has been working on groundwater related projects for over 30 years. He graduated from Calvin University and Michigan State University with degrees in geology. Following graduation, Tom began working in environmental consulting on groundwater related projects. In 1991, Tom and Diane along with their 2 year old son Josiah traveled to SE Turkey and northern Iraq to assist on water supply for displaced Kurds. The need for partners with expertise in water related science and engineering was evident. This was the genesis for volunteer work on safe water projects and eventually the forming of CWI. Tom continues to work as a consulting hydrogeologist and serves as president of CWI.
Sam has been a consulting engineer in the environmental field and for the chemical industry for over 35 years. He also served as executive pastor at Ada Bible Church for over 17 years, and has served on various non-profit boards and foundations. Sam has a passion to bring innovative solutions to water related projects and a desire to use his talents to serve others. Sam has provided engineering support for various CWI projects and has served on the board since the inception of CWI.
Jason Brink co-founded CWI while working as a consulting geologist with Tom Timmermans. Jason has a B.Sc. degree in Geology from Calvin University and a master’s degree in Geology from the University of Utah. After graduate school Jason was employed as an exploration geologist before spending nearly a decade teaching and coaching university students. Currently, Jason and his family reside in Guatemala City where he works for an NGO. Prior to moving to Guatemala, the Brinks lived in Bolivia and Peru. Jason has been actively involved in most of CWI’s projects including work in Uganda, Ethiopia, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, Peru, and Bolivia.
Stuart is a hydrogeologist at a civil engineering firm and works worldwide on multi-disciplinary water-related projects including groundwater development and protection; drinking and irrigation water supplies; wetlands; fluvial restoration; flood control; and mining reclamation. He has worked extensively for the past 15 years in Haiti, and also has worked on large scale hydrogeologic mapping and groundwater supply projects in CAR, DR Congo, Kenya, Nicaragua, Honduras and Peru. Stuart received the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Honor Award for a Groundwater Development Project in Haiti and was also awarded the Abandoned Mined Lands (AML) National Award for Excellence for a Uranium Mine, Wyoming. Stuart is 40-years married and has four grown children.
Following and during a distinguished tenure as research scientist and instructor, Dr. Clark has dedicated his time to application of geophysics in the developing world for the purposes of finding safe water. He has done this by inventing and making available inexpensive geophysical equipment and training in- country practitioners in their use. Dr. Clark has worked in Tanzania, Nigeria, Chad, DR Congo, Rwanda, Haiti, Honduras, Russia, and Kosovo. Dr. Clark has recently retired from Wheaton College and currently resides in the Sacramento area. In 2020, Dr. Clark was recipient of the Beasely Award from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists for his work in humanitarian geophysics.