PAUL HARRIS
 DINNER 

Speaker: Bob Wubbena

​

Presentation Title:  Twenty Plus Years--Thurston County Rotary Water
Committee's Gift of Water to the World-a Tour of the Villages"

The Thurston County Rotary Water Committee and the nine clubs started
their "gift of clean water" to developing countries in 2002---with the
help of the " Cool Jazz Clean Water Event". Bob has supported this
gift by planning, designing, fundraising, and implementing WASH
projects in over ten countries for these 20 years. This effort has
included the early development work for The Rotary Foundation Global
Grant program and the startup of WashRAG. This RAG is Rotary
International's team of active Rotary Clubs working to deliver WASH
projects to villages, schools and health clinics around the world.

Bob began his water career at the University of Iowa, paying for BS
and MS in Environmental Engineering by working weekends at the
University's water and wastewater systems. He was also an Instructor
at the University and taught classes in utility operations and design.
After graduation he worked as a Public Health Engineer for the State
of Washington for nine years and then started his own consulting firm,
Economic and Engineering Services, a five office firm that worked for
most of the major cities in the Pacific Northwest, and nationally.
During this period he served as International President of the
Association of Water and Wastewater Operators and International
President of the American Water Works Association.  He also assisted
in the formation of the charity Water For People in 1992.

Currently he is managing or assisting other Rotary Clubs deliver WASH
projects in Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, Bolivia, Haiti, PNG, South Sudan
and Mexico..

Bob is the Past President of the Olympia Rotary Club and is a Paul
Harris Major Donor and the recipient of the RI Service Above Self Award.