The Board of Directors for Well Aware

We are so very fortunate to be guided by the following Board Members of Well Aware.  Our Directors are uncompensated and complete terms as set forth by the Bylaws of our organization.

Barbara Baggett

Barbara has more than 20 years work experience in the travel business. She received her Certified Travel Counselor credential in 1992; she is a Certified Panama Travel Specialist and Africa Destination Specialist. Barbara also has a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and Environmental Management, is a Licensed Massage Therapist and Hospice Austin volunteer. She began volunteering for Well Aware in 2010, and now proudly serves on it's board of directors.

"I am so blessed to have been given every opportunity and every resource to provide me a full life. I am compelled to give my time and energies to the people of rural Kenya, who do not even have basic necessities of water, food, shelter and education. I am 100% behind the great work done by Well Aware and encourage my friends and colleagues to join me. ~ Barbara"

Our planet's wealth of culture and unspoiled wild places are a siren’s call to Barbara. Her intention is to facilitate memorable vacations that will support and sustain the world's treasures. She hopes to bring Well Aware's donors to Kenya's doorstep, to meet her people and experience first hand the gratification of providing clean, life giving water to a community. 

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Jill Benbow

Jill Benbow is the Director and Founder of L3Fitness.com, an organization dedicated to active and healthy living. A certified wellness coach and personal trainer, Jill is passionate about reversing the obesity epidemic with fun and realistic lifestyle choices by offering online programs for adults, parents, and families. Prior to founding L3, Jill worked in the non-profit industry and continues to write grants for small organizations on a contract basis.

After graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in Psychology, Jill chose to make the mountains of Breckenridge, Colorado her home. An avid outdoorswoman, Jill spends as much time as possible outdoors. She enjoys mountain biking and trail running in the summer and backcountry skiing in the winter.
Jill became involved with Well Aware in 2010 as a Shower Striker. The more she learned about the drought in the Horn of Africa, the more interested she became in doing something to help make a difference. After Shower Striking again in 2011 she joined the Board of Directors with hopes to help grow the presence and work of Well Aware. Jill looks forward to a continued relationship with Well Aware and to sleeping better at night knowing she is making a difference for people truly in need.

Melanie Fish

Melanie Fish turned a journalism career into a bonanza for worthy causes. As the executive producer for Austin’s CBS affiliate, she created Profiles in Power, an awards program and news series honoring Austin’s most powerful women. In her career as a television journalist, she anchored, reported and produced the news. She also produced a Texas Associated Press Best Documentary of The Year. She left television in 2000 to consult with Abu Dhabi TV and focus on her family and community. After founding The Austin Children’s Shelter Guild to support the emergency shelter for abused children, she was honored as one of the 2003 Women on Their Toes—an award for philanthropy.

In 2005, Melanie helped create The 5 Minute Connection for Greenlights for Nonprofit Success during her year in Leadership Austin. The unique program trained nonprofits to identify and share compelling news stories then arranged a media tour to take those stories to local news outlets. Through facilitating The 5 Minute Connection, Melanie dramatically increased news coverage of nonprofits.

She is a sought after speaker and trainer for nonprofits and works in marketing at EnviroMedia – the nation’s first full service marketing firm in the U.S. dedicated solely to improving the environment and public health.

Amanda Torres

Amanda Wilson-­‐Torres is a second year volunteer of Well Aware, Inc. and currently serves as a Board Member and Treasurer. Amanda was born in 1979 in Lorain, Ohio; the third child of Wayne and Marie Wilson's five daughters. After her parents were honorably discharged from the United States Army they settled in Leander, Texas where she graduated high school in 1997. With an Intelligence Officer as her father and a Combat Nurse as her mother; she was destined to be successful in whatever professional industry she chose.

After graduating high school, she studied Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University. After leaving SHSU she became active in Community Service. Making yearly trips to Los Niños de los ángeles Orphanage located in Reynosa, Mexico. There she helped to educate the children by teaching them English and trade skills. After the Orphanage was closed in 2000, she was employed as a Leasing Professional by a family friend. As her career in Multi-­‐Family Housing grew she used her free time to volunteer her services for many Austin Non-­‐Profits including Meals on Wheels, Susan B. Komen and St. David's Neo-­‐natal Intensive Care Unit.

In 2007 Amanda became a new mother to Kyan Torres and the Director of Housing for Four Star Service, a Real Estate Concierge company in Austin, TX. The following year she leased a house to Sarah Evans, Executive Director of Well Aware. After the two became friends Amanda began to attend organization meetings and volunteer her time. Soon after joining Well Aware as a permanent member she became Treasurer. In 2010, she was voted a Board Member and has worked diligently to promote the vision of sanitary water for all people. She is intricately involved in organizing the annual Shower Strike, Well Aware's largest fundraiser, which raised over $76,000 in July 2011. In 2009 Amanda obtained her Associate's Degree in Foreign Language from Austin Community College. She is currently attending St. Edward's University to complete a Bachelor of Science in International Business, with minor of Finance. She hopes to use her degrees to travel the world and set up Well Aware information and relief stations. This will allow her to help promote the vision of providing sustainable, clean drinking water and resources to communities.

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