Our Team
The people behind AguaClara Reach’s research, partnerships, leadership, and impact.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jillian Whiting has her B.S (2019) and M.Eng.(2020) in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University. As a member of AguaClara Cornell, she was a Team Lead, Research Advisor, and student researcher in both water and wastewater treatment. Jillian is a licensed professional engineer in New Jersey and New York and currently works as a Senior Water Resource Engineer for WSP in New York City. She began volunteering with ACR in the Fall of 2020 as a member of the RIDE committee and has served on the board of directors since 2021 overseeing project management, in 2026 she was elected as Board President.
JILLIAN WHITING, PE
President
Blixy Taetzsch is a Certified Public Accountant and retired Chief Financial Officer of Tompkins Cortland Community College. Prior to working at Tompkins Cortland, Blixy worked as an auditor in public practice. In her “retirement” Blixy works part-time for several local governments. Throughout her 35+ year career, Blixy has specialized in nonprofit and government finance and administration, working with educational, governmental, and charitable organizations in the upstate NY area. Blixy has a passion to serve and has volunteered over the years for several local nonprofit organizations including: the Cornell Cooperative Extension, the Sciencenter, and the Tompkins County Public Library. In addition to her current service as the Treasurer of AgugaClara Reach, Blixy also serves at the Board Chair of Beginnings Credit Union. Blixy has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Ithaca College and a Master of Science in Education from Capella University.
BLIXY TAETZSCH, CPA
Treasurer
Matt Cimini graduated from Cornell University in 2019 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering as well as a minor in Environmental Engineering. He has always enjoyed applying his passion for mechanical design to the field of EnvE. During his time at Cornell, he participated on the AguaClara Cornell team for 5 semesters, starting out as a member for a fabrication team, then eventually moving onto AIDE to develop the parameterized abilities of the CAD model. Matt was eventually elected as Team Lead his last two semesters at Cornell. Having graduated, Matt now works in Boston, MA for AECOM as a Mechanical Process Engineer; he designs water and wastewater treatment facilities for municipalities across the country.
MATT CIMINI
Secretary & RIDE Chair
Dr. Monroe Weber-Shirk received his PhD in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University in 1992. His experiences working in Salvadoran refugee camps in Honduras led him to found the AguaClara program in 2005 to invent sustainable water treatment technologies. He guided the AguaClara Cornell student team to empower students, to conduct research, to invent a series of technologies that produce safe drinking water with zero electricity, and to create the open source AguaClara Infrastructure Design Engine AIDE). He works to empower partner organizations that in turn empower communities to build, operate, and sustain their AguaClara water treatment plants.
MONROE WEBER-SHIRK, PHD
Technical Director
Karen has been involved with AguaClara since 2009, when she began her doctoral research at Cornell University. She focused on optimizing the coagulation and flocculation processes in AguaClara plants. She was also involved in early efforts to start the nonprofit arm of the organization that later became AguaClara Reach. Karen’s formal education includes a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a master’s in Environmental Engineering from Vanderbilt University, and a doctorate in Environmental Engineering from Cornell. Karen currently works at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the hazardous waste program.
KAREN SWETLAND-JOHNSON, PHD
Board Member
Cheer Tsang graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Biological Engineering (2019). As a student, she was involved with AguaClara Cornell for 6 semesters, as a team member in Sensor Development, Contact Chamber, Fluoride Removal, and Ram Pump, and as a Particle Removal Research Advisor. In July 2019, she started working as a Water Resources Engineer in Syracuse, NY at O’Brien & Gere, which was recently acquired by the Ramboll Group, an engineering, architecture and consultancy company founded in Denmark.
CHEER TSANG, EIT
Board Member
Elena brings 28+ years of international experience in leadership in humanitarian and operations management and planning. She has created impact by designing strategic, innovative, and high-quality WASH programs around the world. With experience working in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East with organizations including WaterAid UK and America, Save the Children, Oxfam, Christian Aid and Medical Aid for Palestinians, Elena’s particular interests are program strategy, program design and development, emergency preparedness, response and recovery, and how to integrate accountability to disaster affected communities. Elena holds an MBA from Oxford Brookes University.
ELENA TIFFERT-VAUGHAN
Fundraising Committee Chair
LEADERSHIP TEAM
Cesar Fonseca is the Managing Director of AguaClara Reach, where he leads the organization’s strategic growth, partnerships, and global positioning. With more than two decades of experience across international development, philanthropy, and the private sector, Cesar brings a strong track record in mobilizing resources, building cross-sector alliances, and translating innovation into scalable impact.
Throughout his career, he has worked closely with governments, multilateral institutions, foundations, and the private sector to advance sustainable solutions in water, sanitation, and social development across Latin America and beyond. As Managing Director, Cesar is focused on strengthening AguaClara Reach’s partnerships, expanding its footprint, and positioning the organization as a trusted partner for safe and sustainable water solutions worldwide.
CESAR FONSECA
Managing Director
Dr. Monroe Weber-Shirk received his PhD in Environmental Engineering from Cornell University in 1992. His experiences working in Salvadoran refugee camps in Honduras led him to found the AguaClara program in 2005 to invent sustainable water treatment technologies. He guided the AguaClara Cornell student team to empower students, to conduct research, to invent a series of technologies that produce safe drinking water with zero electricity, and to create the open source AguaClara Infrastructure Design Engine AIDE). He works to empower partner organizations that in turn empower communities to build, operate, and sustain their AguaClara water treatment plants.
MONROE WEBER-SHIRK, PHD
Technical Director
Izumi Matsuda graduated from Cornell University in 2019 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Currently, she lives in Brooklyn, NY and works with AguaClara Reach to further develop the AIDE design tool, build and maintain relationships between ACR and other organizations, and manage projects. Izumi is excited to continue facing interesting technical challenges while being able to pursue her passion for sustainability and innovative design.
IZUMI MATSUDA
Design & Partnerships Officer
LEADERSHIP & STRATEGIC ADVISORS
LAURA TSANG
Strategic Advisor, Communications & Social Media
Jason brings to AguaClara deep experience in business analysis, market research, and competitive positioning through a long tenure as an equity analyst and as an investor relations consultant. At Lord Abbett, one of the largest private investment management firms in the US, Jason helped manage an equity portfolio through many economic cycles, growing the fund to over $10 billion in assets. In a new position at AguaClara, the Strategic Growth & Fundraising Chair, Jason will play a pivotal role in shaping AguaClara’s business strategy, funding model, and public presence. Jason is an avid hiker and has a son who is a grand slammer in little league. Jason’s labradoodle, Coco is the talk of the town.
JASON LOEB
Strategic Advisor, Growth & Fundraising