World Water Summit 17

Mike McGovern

Mike McGovern has served as the chair of the Rotary International PolioPlus Committee since October 2014. He also represents Rotary on the Polio Oversight Board which governs the global polio eradication initiative partnership and chairs its Finance and Accountability Committee.

Mike is the global chair of the Rotary Leadership Institute and formerly chaired the Rotary Leadership Institute of Northeast America.

He joined Rotary in 1986 as a member of the Rotary Club of South Portland-Cape Elizabeth, Maine, USA. After serving as a district governor in 1999-2000, he served in many Rotary positions including as a director and vice president of Rotary International and as a trustee and vice chair of the Rotary Foundation. He led Rotary’s rezoning efforts in 2007-2008 and in 2017-2018, was chair of the RI Membership Committee, and has chaired the Rotary Action Group for Family Health and AIDS Prevention.

He served his entire career with the Town of Cape Elizabeth, Maine USA beginning as an intern in 1977 and serving as town manager for 31 years until his retirement in 2016. Mike led Maine’s cities and towns as president of the Maine Municipal Association and served as the president of the Maine Town and City Management Association.

Aziz Memon

Aziz Memon is chair of the Kings Group, a conglomerate of five companies that is one of the leading textile and ready-made garment manufacturing and exporting groups in Pakistan. He is also chair of the board of the Karachi Garment City, a project of the government of Pakistan. Memon’s other roles include honorary consul general of the Republic of Suriname in Karachi, president of the English Speaking Union of Pakistan, and president of the United Memon Jamat of Pakistan, a nongovernmental organization dedicated to community development and helping the underprivileged.

Since he joined Rotary in 1995, he has been widely recognized for his leadership in polio eradication. Memon has served as member of the International PolioPlus Committee and chair of the Pakistan PolioPlus Committee. He has worked closely with Rotary’s partners and stakeholders, including UNICEF, WHO and its Expanded Programme on Immunization, government officials, religious scholars, celebrities, business leaders, and Rotarians from around the world. He was one of four polio eradication activists to receive the Louis Pasteur Medal by the Institut Pasteur. His other RI leadership positions have included training leader, committee member, and RI president’s representative. Memon says his favorite Rotary project was working with his club to raise over $285,000 to fund an English-language instruction school for 4,000 children.

Memon has received the Service Above Self Award, the International and Regional Service Awards for a Polio-Free World, and The Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award and Citation for Meritorious Service. In recognition of his community and humanitarian services in the health sector, the president of Pakistan conferred the Pride of Performance Award on Memon in 2011. He and his wife, Samina, are members of the Arch Klumph Society.

Rhett Butler

Rhett Butler, AM is the founder and chairman of the SkyJuice Foundation Incorporated. SkyJuice is an incorporated non-profit charity based in Australia. He is an active professional company director as well as an Adjunct Associate Professor
(Mechanical Engineering) at the University of Sydney

SkyJuice provides sustainable water solutions to over 75 developing countries, as well as emergency water supply solutions. Over 10,000 SkyJuice units have been supplied globally since 1996. The Foundation works with established NGO’s and independent charities (such as Rotary, Disaster Aid, MSF, Oxfam, World Vision, Islamic Relief and many others) to provide unique safe water treatment solutions. The organisation was awarded the Zayed Sustainability Prize for water in 2025

Rhett is a professional mechanical engineer with postgraduate degrees in Engineering, Science and Business Administration. He has over 40 years international experience in the water industry and membrane technology.

Rhett was made a member of the Order of Australia in 2012. He is a member of IWA, IDA, AWA, the Company Directors Association of Australia, RedR as well as the Institution of Engineers Australia.

Kelly James

Kelly James is a recognized leader in global WASH, dedicated to advancing safe water, sanitation, and hygiene to prevent infectious diseases and promote health equity. As Senior Manager of WASH Services and Africa Lead at CAWST, Kelly works closely with governments, NGOs, and community organizations across the continent, supporting the design and implementation of scalable WASH solutions in healthcare facilities, schools, and vulnerable communities.

With a master’s degree in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and a background in Development Studies and Economics, Kelly brings technical expertise and a passion for practical, people-centered solutions. Her work spans research, policy development, and hands-on capacity building, from addressing the stigma of sanitation work to strengthening public health systems for disease prevention—including waterborne illnesses.

Kelly has led projects across East and West Africa, building partnerships that empower local leaders and deliver measurable impact. Named one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 for her achievements in public health, she is committed to sharing insights and proven tools to help communities break the cycle of poverty and disease.

At the World Water Summit, Kelly will share real-world strategies for integrating WASH into disease prevention efforts, with a focus on lessons learned from the field and actionable approaches for lasting change.

Dr. Ann Marie Kimball

Ann Marie Kimball is an American physician. She is known for being the pioneer of electronic disease surveillance for infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics. She is currently a Professor Emerita in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington,[1] a Consulting Fellow at the Chatham House Royal Institute of Foreign Affairs,[2] and was a Strategic Consultant in Global Health at the Rockefeller Foundation. Kimball served as a technical and strategic lead for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation infectious disease surveillance strategy formation.

Kimball’s research on global trade and emerging infections has earned her a Fulbright New Century Scholars award and a Guggenheim Scholars award. She is the author of two books, entitled Risky Trade: Infectious Diseases in an Era of Global Trade, and Risks and Challenges in Medical Tourism.[3] She has also done extensive media work with television, radio and the press.[4] Kimball brought important innovations to international infectious disease surveillance through the founding of the APEC Emerging Infections network advanced electronic disease surveillance and networking in the Asia Pacific.[2]

Kimball is a Fellow in the American College of Preventive Medicine.

Uvindu Abeysekara

Uvindu Abeysekara is a master’s student at the University of Lethbridge, currently conducting research at Agri-Food Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Biochemistry and a Graduate Certificate (GC) in Bioinformatics. During his undergraduate studies, Uvindu was actively engaged in microbiology, working in Dr. Kim Stanford’s lab, where he studied Shiga-toxin (stx) producing E. coli, pathogenic Salmonella, and Campylobacter. His research on Shiga toxin-producing E. coli led to a presentation at the 11th International Symposium on Shiga (Verocytotoxin)-Producing Escherichia coli Infections (VTEC 2023). This experience allowed him to gain insights from leading experts in the field of pathogenic microbiology. Collectively these experiences inspired him to pursue higher education in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases through his master’s program.

Under the guidance of Dr. Tim McAllister at Agri-Food Canada, Uvindu’s master’s research focuses on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and its intersectionality among humans, animals, and the environment. He investigates how AMR can develop and spread, posing risks to both animals and humans. A significant focus of his research is on the role of water as a reservoir for bacteria carrying antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Further studying water sources and its sources of contamination would enhance our understanding of AMR dissemination.

Beyond the realm of science, Uvindu has been an active member of Rotary since 2021, joining the University of Lethbridge Rotaract Club. He served as Club Engagement Officer for 2022-2023 and was the President for 2023-2024. During his time with the Uleth Rotaract Club, he contributed to numerous community initiatives, including organizing Discon 2023 and Lethbridge Dragonboat Festival for 2024. He is currently a member of the Rotaract United Club and continues to be involved in organizing events like the Lethbridge Dragonboat Festival.

Dr Olha Paliychuk

Professional position:
MD, PhD, DMSc, Prof, MBA in Health Care
Ministry of Health of Ukraine Board Experts of the oncological diseases member and secretary,
ESMO (European Society of Medical Oncologists) and ESGO (European Society of Gynecological Oncologists) member, All-Ukrainian Association of Gynecological Oncologists and Ukrainian Association of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology Board of Experts member,
СЕО, co-founder and co-owner of the Cherkasy “Andromeda+” private medical center, Professor of the Department of Fundamental Medicine in Bohdan Khmelnytskiy Cherkasy National University, gynecologist-oncologist in the Cherkasy Regional Center of Oncology, Hematology, Transplantation and Palliative Care.

Rotary position:
DG 2025-2026, D2232 Medical Coordinator 2022-2023 and Coordinating Committee for the Prevention of Humanitarian Disaster member 2022-2025, DISC 2022-2025 and Rotary Fellowships&Action Groups Subcommittee Chair 2020-2024, SCC 2019-2022, ICC Ukraine-USA, ICC Ukraine-Netherlands & ICC Ukraine-Turkey Board member.
Rotary Fellowships and Action Groups: International Rotary Fellowship of Healthcare Professionals (IRFHP) Ukrainian Branch Secretary 2022-2025 and World Board member (Ukraine) 2023-2024, RAG of Mental Health Initiatives, WASH RAG and RAG for Peace member, RC in IYFR Region Ukraine.
Club: RC Cherkasy Foundation Chair 2019-2025.
PHF, Service Above Self Award, Major Donor.
District Governor Elect, 2232
Rotary club Cherkasy, Ukraine.