Gary White is the

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

and

co-founder An organizational founder is a person who has undertaken some or all of the formational work needed to create a new organization, whether it is a business, a charitable organization, a governing body, a school, a group of entertainers, or any oth ...

of Water.org. White earned a B.S. and

M.S. A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine ...

Civil Engineering Civil engineering is a regulation and licensure in engineering, professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads ...

from

Missouri University of Science and Technology Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T or S&T) is a public research university in Rolla, Missouri. It is a member institution of the University of Missouri System. Most of its 6,456 students (2023) study engineering, busin ...

in 1985 and 1987, respectively, and also holds an M.S. in

Environmental Engineering Environmental engineering is a professional engineering Academic discipline, discipline related to environmental science. It encompasses broad Science, scientific topics like chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiolo ...

with an emphasis on water supply and sanitation in developing countries, from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC, UNC–Chapel Hill, or simply Carolina) is a public university, public research university in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1789, the university first began enrolli ...

. In 1990, he co-founded

WaterPartners WaterPartners International was an American nonprofit developmental aid organization tasked with the specific purpose of providing safe drinking water and sanitation to people in developing countries. Founded in 1990, it has since provided safe d ...

, an American nonprofit developmental aid organization focused on universal access to safe

drinking water Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...

and

sanitation Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems ...

for people in developing countries. In July 2009,

merged with

Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon ( ; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He was ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars in 2007, and in 2010 was one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received va ...

's H2O Africa Foundation to create Water.org. White is a founding member of the Global Water Challenge , the Millennium Water Alliance , and Chairman of the Steering Committee for WASH Advocates. in 2009, White was named an adviser to the

Clinton Global Initiative The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was e ...

and in 2011, White and his co-founder

were included in the ''Time'' 100 list of the world's most influential people . He was the recipient of the 2012 World Social Impact Award from the World Policy Institute, was named one of the

Schwab Foundation The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship is a Swiss Non-profit, not-for-profit organization founded in 1998 that provides platforms at regional, national, and global levels to promote social entrepreneurship.Schwab Foundation for Social E ...

Social Entrepreneurs of 2012 and was named one of

's 28 Alumni of Influence. In 2017, White was awarded the ''Forbes'' 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship. In 2022, Gary White and fellow Water.org co-founder, Matt Damon, authored ''The Worth of Water''. The book invites readers to match hope with resources, to empower families and communities with safe water, and to end the global water crisis for good.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:White, Gary American civil engineers American environmental engineers Living people Missouri University of Science and Technology alumni University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Social entrepreneurs