On The Ground
Yalew Tafete
In Ethiopia, Yalew is our in-country Manager and central to our success in locating villages and communicating our intentions.
Yalew provides or coordinates many of the services WFAV needs to do our work such as interpretation, cultural awareness, coordinating the support crew and logistics. He is passionate about his country and provides an essential link between everyone involved.
By profession, Yalew is a tour guide but has worked alongside Catherine since 2014 and has been pivotal in the construction and servicing of each and every one of our improved water sources.
Catherine Wheatley (PhD), CEO
Catherine installed her first well in the Simien Mountains after hiking through the area and seeing first-hand the poverty and poor health of the people that was perpetuated by the lack of clean water.
When her story started to attract funding, she formed Water For A Village with her husband Peter. This cause, in conjunction with raising awareness about human rights and poverty, is now her chosen vocation.
Read a journal entry from Catherine when she is in Ethiopia here.
The Board
Cameron McCulloch,
Chair
Cameron McCulloch is a Tasmanian-based engineering executive, strategist, and investor with a strong track record in infrastructure, sustainability, and place-based development. He is currently Head of Strategy Delivery at Hydro Tasmania, where he leads cross-functional programs across asset management, environmental strategy, and operational transformation.
Cameron has spent more than a decade in senior leadership roles within Australia’s renewable energy sector—including leading roles in a number of world-first initiatives and projects. His work has shaped long-term investment priorities and delivered complex change across critical infrastructure portfolios, spanning capital planning, risk governance, policy engagement, and systems thinking.
He currently serves as Chair of Water for a Village, holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Power) with Honours from the University of Tasmania and an MBA (Technology) from UNSW.
Mike Brough
Mike has extensive experience in government administration with a special emphasis on vocational education and training (VET). Following a decade working in general government, he worked as a TAFE teacher, TAFE college director, General Manager of Skills Tasmania and TasTAFE Board director. In the latter role he served as chair of TasTAFE’s audit and risk management committee.
Following his retirement, Mike established a consultancy specialising in VET policy and strategy. Mike has represented Tasmania in many state and national forums and has been an active participant in the establishment and evolution of the national VET system. He also held positions as state and national president of TAFE teacher unions.
He has expertise in accounting and finance, economics, governance, risk management, legislation, strategy and policy. Mike has a Bachelor of Business, teaching qualifications, and is a Fellow of CPA Aus.
Louise Bain, Treasurer
Louise is a member of both the Institute of Internal Auditors and the Institute of Chartered Accountants. After leaving KPMG, she manages the Internal Audit function in the company she is now based. Alongside paid employment, for the past 20 years she has volunteered with two local organisations with a focus on accounting and finance, project management, community support, compliance and risk management.
Louise believes we all have a responsibility to work towards greater equity, ensuring all people, regardless of locality, have access to safe water, food and medical resources.
She has followed Catherine and her work with Water For A Village for a number of years and was quick to volunteer for the role of Treasurer when it became vacant. On a different front, she is married with two active boys, 1 seemingly untrainable chocolate Labrador and 2 kittens.
Greg O'Meara
Greg O’Meara has degrees in Commerce, Law and Economics. Greg is a practising solicitor who specialises in Commercial and Property Law and has been a Partner practising in Queensland for 28 years.
Greg has a strong interest in charitable pursuits including being a board member of St. Johns College Foundation, within the University of Queensland and involvement as a mentor in the Smith Family Tertiary Mentoring Programme for 15 years.
He is a keen golfer and although recently retired from ultra-marathon events, continues to run and exercise. Greg is married with 3 adult children.
Joanne Stubbs
Joanne Stubbs has worked in IT for over 25 years with experience in a variety of industry sectors including retail, disability, public utilities, international government, financial services and the airline industry. Previous experience include CIO – Asia Pacific for GMAC, The Good Guys, and Retail Corp (part of Dubaiworld). Most recently Joanne has held an IT strategy role with Energy Australia and worked with the International Office for Migration within the United Nations as a volunteer.
Her strengths include expertise in project management, and the establishment of robust governance to support objectives within business. Joanne holds a Bachelor of Education, a Graduate Diploma in Computer Science, a Masters in Technology Management and as a graduate of the AICD.
Peter Wheatley
Peter Wheatley is a highly experienced consultant in human resource management.
As a passionate supporter of WFAV he has been instrumental in its success. After helping to create the organisation and serving on the Board, he has stepped away from it to support Catherine.
Peter is an ardent humanitarian who believes in sharing what we have to improve the lives of those less fortunate.