Pat Herath...is the Founder & Executive Director of Wells 4 Wellness and is known for limitless energy!
In fact, she has been described as a human magnet that draws people together. Pat inspires & ignites people with a drive they never knew they had. When she speaks of her vision and experiences, most people think she is crazy or stretching the truth, but the Wells 4 Wellness family has always believed she is "on" to something in a really big way! When Pat told her friends and family that she was going to drill wells in one of the driest, one of the poorest, and one of the most undeveloped places in the world; most laughed, some paused, and a very few became faithful monthly donors. She remembers you. Just like the mustard tree, our small "seed" of donors stayed committed to growth and continued to support the God-given mission of bringing fresh, clean drinking water to the people of Niger! One year we would get a well, and another year we would get nothing; yet the drill team, the people in Niger, the board, the donors, and Pat were never going to quit. We all felt drawn to something greater than ourselves. We knew that trials would come and drilling wells would be tough, but the people in Niger struggling to find drinkable water everyday had it worse. So, the team struggled on and on, which led us to taking the option of "Giving-Up" off the table. Pat, and her husband Bob, have seen contaminated water steal the health and livelihoods of so many people and they realized they had to do something! So, they formed a board and started Wells 4 Wellness with the impossible goal of providing thirty-three wells, but because of blessings from above, the team, and people like you... we have surpassed that goal multiple times. Wanna learn more about Pat's story? CLICK HERE |
Diane Borders... is our Wells 4 Wellness Board Secretary & Presenter/Ambassador, Diane lives in Moline, IL with her husband, Curt and has a passion for people. They have 5 children and 14 grandchildren. Diane resigned after 30 years in youth ministry to stay home with grandkids which gives her a great opportunity to serve humanity in amazing organizations like Wells 4 Wellness and ‘Love for L’Allemand’, Haiti.
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Ann Marx...is a retired social worker, Ann is an Illinois State University graduate with a degree in sociology. With an unquenchable thirst to learn about diverse cultures, she traveled to Southeast Asia in 2007. There, she saw the difference clean water sources made in the communities she visited. In 2016, she had the opportunity to visit Niger, Africa, where she saw firsthand the greatest need for clean water. When she’s not volunteering for Wells 4 Wellness, she can be found mentoring children. And she makes a mean apple pie!
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Kristi Siwajek...has many years of work experience with nonprofit organizations. She worked for Children International for twenty years, serving people in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the United States through a wide range of programs in health, education, and community development (including water wells). She has an MBA from Drake University, and a BA in International Management and Spanish from Central College. She looks forward to furthering the mission of Wells4Wellness.
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Gary Siwajek...has a very strong record as a Sr. Account Executive that provides highly engineered electrical and hydraulic solutions to better heat, cool, connect, and feed a growing population. Gary has diverse experience in every facet of industrial products from design, production, quality, through sales and logistics. Gary’s extensive travel to third-world countries has given him great drive and appreciation for our cause. He has a dual MBA in marketing and finance, and always brings energy and creativity to our cause.
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Advisory Members
Robert Herath, DVM...married his wife, Pat, in 1972. Together, they founded the Andalusia Road Veterinary Centre in Milan, Illinois in 1976. Besides working full-time at the veterinary centre, he encourages Pat in all things Wells 4 Wellness!
Dr. Herath entered a career in Veterinary Medicine because he loves to help pets who cannot help themselves. Now that same passion spills out in an effort to help provide clean, safe drinking water for people and groups who need it the most. Many of the gallery photos are taken by Dr. Bob! |
Greg Swanson...is the Utilities General Manager for the City of Moline, where he has worked in the public water supply field since 1977. His work experience encompasses a broad range of activities ranging from water treatment and distribution O&M to utility management and strategic planning. Greg serves on the boards of the Illinois Section of the American Water Works Association and Global Awareness Citizens. Greg is a strong advocate of public outreach efforts that promote water knowledge and appreciation and prompt action to address the many water challenges facing our world.
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David Pautsch...serves as a business advisor to Wells 4 Wellness. He uses a straight-forward approach, which keeps the organization focused on its major goal: to provide safe, clean drinking water to communities in Niger. Following his time with the US Army Band, he earned a marketing and communications degree at Virginia Tech. David has coordinated events for Luis Palau and currently owns L.W. Ramsey Advertising Agency in Davenport, Iowa. His organization, Thy Kingdom Come Ministries, sponsors the annual Quad Cities Prayer Breakfast.
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