Leading Differently: A Female Founders Perspective on Water & Equity

Saturday, May 16, 2026
10:00AM - 12:00PM

Location: Swedish Club 1920 Dexter Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109

We will have a short annual meeting where we elect officers for the next two year period. Then on to our speaker – Marla Smith-Nilson – Founder and Executive Director of Water 1st International.

Join us for a dynamic end of season meeting at the Swedish Club on Lake Union. The speaker event will start just after 10 am and end at 11:30 with time afterwards to enjoy visiting and snacking until 2PM. Committee and neighborhood groups could carpool and enjoy the afternoon with fellow members.

Marla will share how she built a nonprofit and the successes and challenges that come with international equity focused work centered on women and girls.

Free registration at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Marla’s mission is to advocate for and support effective international development supporting local, long-lasting solutions to the water and sanitation crisis. For many people worldwide, this is the first step out of poverty toward transformation.

She is an expert in identifying and partnering with on-the-ground implementation organizations and has a unique ability to communicate the stories of the project beneficiaries, relay the extent of the current water crisis, and inspire others to take action in effective ways.

A respected leader in the water sector, Marla is a civil engineer who brings 25 years of hands-on field experience with water supply and sanitation projects in developing countries. Prior to founding Water 1st, she was a consulting engineer with positions at USAID in Honduras and CH2M, where she led a team to develop the Water Master Plan for the City of Cairo, Egypt.

She was also a Co-Founder and Director at WaterPartners International (now water.org). In her career, she has overseen the implementation of thousands of community water projects in Latin America, Asia and Africa benefiting over 300,000 people.

Lite breakfast snacks and coffee/tea for the main meeting. Small bites/sandwiches for afternoon luncheon and social time.
In person at the Swedish Club - 1920 Dexter Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109

9:30 meet and greet. 10-11:30 program, 11:30-2:30 continued meeting, food, and social time.

Contact: Free registration at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)