The WaterAid America Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Kelly Parsons will join WaterAid as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective October 21, 2019.
Parsons will take over from outgoing CEO Sarina Prabasi, who served served in this role since 2014, and previously also led WaterAid's Ethiopia country program.
"We thank Sarina for her dedication and stewardship and welcome Kelly. She brings a commitment to global development and a proven track record of leveraging private and institutional capital to find innovative solutions to global challenges. After an extensive candidate search, the board is confident that Kelly will help us accelerate progress toward our mission to reach everyone, everywhere with clean water, sanitation and hygiene." Marc Robert, Board Chair, WaterAid.
Most recently, Parsons led the Corporate Partnerships and Philanthropy team at Population Services International (PSI). Previously, she led the Marketing Leadership Council, a network of Fortune 500 marketing executives and served as CEO of Melcrum Inc., a corporate and employee communications startup.
"I am delighted to join an organization poised for significant growth and that is resolutely focused on such a critical issue in global development. Water, sanitation and hygiene are the building blocks for a dignified, healthy and productive life. WaterAid will continue to work tirelessly and in partnership with diverse stakeholders to achieve universal access to these human rights, leaving no one behind." Kelly Parsons, incoming CEO.
Parsons holds a Masters in International Development from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. She started her career as a Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Guatemala.
