Committed to water, strength, and destroying barriers.
The volunteer WaterStrong board reflects the communities we serve. An active fundraising and partnership team, members contribute annually and actively engage in WaterStrong events. 100% participation is not just a goal, it’s how we work.
Past board members & advisors (2016 - present)
Nana Hoerth, Founder, YETI Foundation for Child Safety
John Graham, former CEO, Speedo USA
Nathalie Martin, Founder Swim Global Project
Jennifer Buffin, Head Swim Coach, University of Arizona
Victor Wales, Head Swim Coach, Marin Aquatics
Why I founded WaterStrong
To build a generation of humans who engage with the water differently: with confidence, skills, and with care.
I am a mother to daughters, a swimmer, mediator, and a lover of science. After spending years in conference rooms navigating hours of seemingly intractable disputes, I founded WaterStrong in 2016, moved to action after a tragic drowning took the lives of four members of the Garcia-Ixtacua family in a lake near my home, at a picnic area I know like the back of my hand. More than ten years later, that incident still sits with communities in Forest Grove and first responders throughout Oregon who remember that day vividly. Hagg Lake has a complex history and it is one of my favorite places to swim, bike and trail run; it’s also a popular gathering place for families and fishers. After the incident, I determined to be part of the solution, to do what I can to rebuild a foundation in the fundamentals of water safety and water stewardship: as we care for the water, the water cares for us.
In WaterStrong’s first years, I delivered programs in 6 countries, with my daughters in tow whenever possible. Then in 2020, the COVID pandemic brought WaterStrong back home to grow partnerships locally. The same dynamics play out at home as anywhere in the world. The barriers to accessing swim lessons and water safety training; the threats to clean water and watershed health; the same drive to survive, be stronger and more confident, to care and to be cared for.
This is the WaterStrong story. It’s about the water, taking care, and it’s about survival