Transform International

Board Chair, Robert (Bob) Wubbena

Bob was the International President of the Association of Boards of Certification of Water and Wastewater Operators (ABC) in 1975 and the International President of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in 1995. He served on the board of Water for People for many years, and was Vice-Chair of WASRAG for 6 years.  During his professional career Bob worked for the Washington State drinking water program and as a consultant to local and state governments throughout North America. During this time he worked directly with the National Rural Water Association and state governments in providing circuit rider and training programs for rural systems throughout North America. Bob is a member of the Rotary Club of Olympia, WA, and has instigated, nurtured and supported large WASH programs in Malawi, Papua New Guinea and elsewhere.

Vice-Chair, Pennye Nixon

In 2003, Pennye Nixon founded Etta Projects, a US and Bolivian non-profit organization working in Bolivia with rural villages to provide access to clean water, sanitation and improved village health.  Prior to founding Etta Projects Pennye practiced as a child, family and marriage therapist.  She holds an M.A. in Psychology from Pacific Lutheran University and a B.A. in Human Services from the University of Tennessee. Ms. Nixon was awarded the RESULTS Kitsap Peninsula Global Humanitarian Award for her work with global poverty and the International Woman of the Year Award by the city of Montero, Bolivia.

Stew Martin, Director

A 25+ year Rotarian living in Portland, Oregon, Stew Martin has served many roles in Rotary.  For District 5100 he was a Group Study Exchange leader then GSE district chair, he teaches at Training Assemblies, has assisted Clubs with WASH projects since 2007, takes Rotarians on trips to developing countries, does large global grant projects in Indonesia & Tanzania, was District International Service Committee Chair and now Coaches Rotarians on Global Grants. He has served on WASH-RAG Operations Team as Regional Team Coordinator, participated in development of PEP (Project Enhancement Process), prepared database tracking education & experience for members, and has been a speaker at CenAm project fairs, district training assemblies and the RI convention in Thailand. He has personally led Rotary WASH projects in Honduras, Indonesia & Tanzania and assisted many others. Stew is also a Triple Crown donor (major donor,
PH Society & Bequest society). Outside of Transform and Rotary, he was a founding Board member and served for ten years on the Emergency Volunteer Corps (focus: earthquake, tsunami, evacuation & WASH) and was on the boards of Healing the Children, Neahkahnie Water District, Business Merchants & Chambers of Commerce.

Jim McGill, Director

Jim was a coordinator for WaSH Programmes with the Presbyterian Church (USA) for the past 25 years in partnership with the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Livingstonia, Mzuzu, Malawi.   Jim has now shifted to work with the Presbyterian Church Of South Sudan (PCOSS) and the Eglise Evangelique de la Republique du Niger (EERN).   In Malawi, Jim managed hand-dug well and ecological sanitation programs, managed the implementation and management of the Livingstonia Gravity-fed Piped Water Scheme with Rotary International, and helped start up the CCAP Smart Centre for technical and business training the local private sector in low-cost water and sanitation options including Household Water Treatment (HWTS), latrines and slab construction, hand and mechanical drilling, Rope and piston pump manufacture.  Previously Jim worked five years with Project PROBE (Proto-Rift and Oceanic Basin Evolution) collecting geophysical data on the R/V Nyanja on the East Africa rift lakes. 

Barbara Barney, Director

Barbara is a retired Certified Public Accountant.  A Rotarian for over 30 years, she has been active in both international Rotary travel (visiting projects and project fairs in Africa, South America, Central America, and Mexico) and administering Rotary District Grants.

Nancy Gilbert, Executive Director

Nancy, a lawyer by profession, was formerly the Manager, Appropriate Technology Enabled Development program for PIND, an NGO in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. She earned doctorate from Royal Roads University researching  sustainable sanitation in Niger Delta (Nigeria) riverine communities.

Nancy practiced law for 8 years in Ontario and 2 years in New Brunswick before starting an advertising agency with her husband Paul. Subsequently she worked in marketing communications and brand strategy consulting until settling into her real passion – water, sanitation, and hygiene development. Having joined Rotary in 1994, Nancy served as District Governor of Rotary District 7810 in 2003-2004. She was the inaugural Rotary Coordinator for Zone 24 east in 2008. She also served as a member of the WASRAG board.

Nancy and her husband Paul live in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada), have a blended family of seven children and eleven delightful grandchildren.