Meet The Team
Nermine Khouzam Rubin
Founder & CEO
Nermine Khouzam Rubin immigrated from Egypt at 8 years old after she, her parents, and four siblings lived through the 6-Day Arab-Israeli War in Port Said. She speaks three languages and graduated with honors with a Major or Minor degree in Psychology or Chemistry. Nermine has a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Health Science (MHS) from the University of Florida and has held executive positions within the healthcare field in architecture/facilities planning, marketing/business development, managed care/information systems, and consulting. After observing firsthand people in remote Africa suffering from thirst, disease, and hunger, Nermine founded Water 4 Mercy in 2018. She researched extensively and eventually contracted the world's leading experts in solar, water, and agriculture, and shareing this knowledge throughout Africa to provide a permanent solution. She sits on multiple boards, including Clearwater Central Catholic High School, Enviro Projects International, Main Street Economics, and the Jewish National Fund (JNF). She was named world's Inspiring CEOs to watch in 2022 by World's Leaders Magazine: "10 Most Inspiring Women Leaders to Follow in 2022" by Insights Success Magazine; and 100 Most Disruptive Companies and CEOs to Look Out for in 2021 by The Technology Era. Nermine resides in Clearwater, Florida, with Leslie, her husband of 31+ years, and has 2 adult children, Samantha (25 yrs) and Nathan (24 yrs). Nermine resides in Clearwater, Florida with Leslie, her husband of 31+ years, and has 2 adult children, Samantha 25 yrs and Nathan 24 yrs.
Samantha Rubin
Project Development/Marketing Director
Meet The Board
Meg Carey
Vice President
Mrs. Carey is a steadfast volunteer for many Catholic ministries and schools. For the past twelve years, she has served as Branch Facilitator for The Cornerstone Ministry Team, with duties such as writing, making presentations, and being the liaison between the Board in St. Louis, MO, and the Clearwater Branch. An active member of Espiritu Santo Catholic Church, Mrs. Carey serves as a Eucharistic Minister to the Sick and Homebound while also fundraising for causes in Long Island, Dallas, and Clearwater. Born and raised in New York City, Mrs. Carey attended Grace Institute in New York and has worked at Peat, Marwick & Mitchell & Co, The Lefrak Organization, Mary Immaculate Hospital, and Loan and Mid-Island Equities. She and her husband, John are blessed with 5 children.
Frank Murphy
Treasurer/ Secretary
Mr. Murphy is a compassionate leader with over 40 years of experience formulating unique community services. As the CEO of Morton Plant Hospital, he envisioned a better healthcare service, which led to the creation of Tampa Bay’s BayCare Health System, and became its first CEO. After 25 years working in the healthcare sector, Mr. Murphy joined the leadership team of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg and became President of Catholic Charities. He established key partnerships to create Pinellas Hope, a charity that offers shelter and dignity to the homeless population in St. Petersburg, FL. Currently, the Secretary of Administration, Mr. Murphy, is responsible for supervising all of the temporalities of the Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg's Pastoral Center, including revenue, construction, stewardship, and human resources. He earned his Master’s in Hospital and Health Services from Ohio State University.
Nermine Khouzam Rubin
Executive Director
As Founder and CEO of Water 4 Mercy, Mrs. Rubin is providing remote African villages with sustainable water and farming solutions to restore human dignity and permanently end the water and poverty crisis. She was inspired to start Water 4 Mercy after witnessing the dire conditions and scarcity of water when visiting Tanzania in 2017 with her daughter Samantha. Mrs. Rubin is the Vice President of Business Development at TTS Thermal Cycling and has held leadership positions in the healthcare and information systems industries throughout the country. Past employers include Bayfront Medical Center, Gresham Smith & Partners Architects, Hospital Cost Consultants, and The Thomson Corporation. Mrs. Rubin earned her Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) and Masters of Health Science (MHS) from the University of Florida in Gainesville. She was born in Port Said, Egypt, and resides in Clearwater, Florida, with her husband, Les; together they have 5 children.
Dr. John Venturella
Executive Director As an educator for the past 40 years, Dr. Venturella has taught elementary, secondary school, and college courses. He served as campus minister, guidance counselor, dean of students, principal and president in a number of high schools throughout the United States. In July of 2005, he was appointed president of Clearwater Central Catholic High School. In addition, he has taught applied ethics, the Old Testament, the New Testament and World Religions at St. Petersburg College for six years. He has studied around the world and earned the following degrees: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, Nova Southeastern University; Doctor of Ministry, The Graduate Theological Foundation; Master of Science in Religion & Religious Education, Fordham University; Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministries, Saint Thomas University; Bachelor of Arts in Spanish/Education, St. John’s University.
The Reverend Gregg Tottle, retired and former Pastor
Fr. Tottle was former pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Clearwater, Florida whose mission was to engage the parish family in continuing the loving and reconciling ministry of Jesus Christ through worship, witness, and works. Prior, he served as Priest Secretary/Master of Ceremonies to Bishop Favalore and, in 2003 became Rector of St. Jude The Apostle Cathedral in St. Petersburg, Florida. In 1999, he was pastor of Espiritu Santo Catholic Church and saw the need for more classrooms for the church’s ever-growing Religious Education Department. He oversaw the building and construction of their Pre-K-8 Catholic School, which broke ground in Safety Harbor, Florida, on October 15, 2000. Fr. Tottle received a Bachelor of Arts in Business from the University of South Florida. He earned his Masters in Divinity at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, FL.
Bruce Stein
Bruce Stein is a pharmacist, has a PhD in fermentation chemistry, and is an attorney. He was patent counsel for The Upjohn Company (Pharmacia) for 25 years. His best known case for Upjohn is Asgrow v. Winterboer, which was won at the Supreme Court. When not practicing law for his employer, he often did probono work and served on the boards of the Congregation of Moses (Kalamazoo) and Legal Aid of Kalamazoo. In addition, he was on the board of the ACLU of SW MI for 12 years, serving as chairperson for 10 years. While he was chairperson of the ACLU of SW MI, he won the case, Stein v Plainwell Public Schools, stopping religious prayer at public high school graduations.
Advisory Board
Father Tom Anastasia
Father Tom Anastasia, serving as a priest in the Diocese of St. Petersburg for 33 years, uniquely blends his roles as parish priest at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Clearwater, FL, and professional baseball chaplain for the Tampa Bay Rays. His presence enriches his congregation with warmth and wisdom, while his chaplaincy with the Rays bridges the realms of faith and sports, offering spiritual guidance to athletes, coaches, and staff through the ups and downs of their careers. Father Tom's ability to inspire parishioners and athletes alike showcases his talent for connecting with people from various backgrounds, fostering community and faith. Following a life-changing trip to Tanzania with Water 4 Mercy, where he helped provide water to the Iyoyo Village, Father Tom became deeply involved, now serving on the Water 4 Mercy advisory board. His efforts resonate deeply at the intersection of faith and everyday life, embodying a courageous commitment to living the Gospel.
George Szele
Vice President George Szele has a passion to connect people and give advice on sustainable water and farming solutions to restore human dignity and to help alleviate the water and poverty crises. He was inspired at an early age by such efforts by his parents, who were major supporters of Saint Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. He has a broad background in business development and emerging technologies such as Lidar and Blockchain, Bitcoin / Ethereum platforms, consulting and advisory projects or domestic and international, with strong track record of identifying and building strategic relationships and growth opportunities.
Beth Lani
Treasurer/ Secretary with more than twenty years’ experience in fundraising and institutional advancement, Mrs. Lani is driven to help organizations whose work benefits children and the underserved. As a moderator of the Clearwater Central Catholic High School Water 4 Mercy Student Service Chapter, the first student group dedicated to bringing awareness to and raising funds for Water 4 Mercy, Mrs. Lani hopes to inspire young people to live with compassion in the service of others.
Amy Belanger
Amy Belanger joined the Advisory Board after traveling throughout Tanzania and Kenya with Water 4 Mercy CEO and founder Nermine Khouzam Rubin in 2021. A humanitarian committed to driving positive change, Amy has spent a lifetime advocating for the betterment of children through education. In addition to teaching and numerous volunteer positions, Ms. Belanger has also served as a board member for Saint Paul’s Independent School and Clearwater Central Catholic High School.
Rabbi Matt Berger
A native of New England and an avid Boston Red Sox fan, Rabbi Matt Berger attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. He was ordained as a rabbi by the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. He received a Master of Arts in Education with Jewish Specialization from Xavier University in Cincinnati the same year. Since 2003, Rabbi Berger has served Reform congregations in Illinois, Massachusetts, and Texas.
Rabbi Berger is the spiritual leader of Temple Ahavat Shalom in Palm Harbor, Florida. He is an accomplished musician who loves to sing and play guitar. Some of his hobbies include reading, swimming, and bicycling. He enjoys teaching both children and adults. He is passionate about sharing his love for Israel. He believes in the prophetic call for social justice.
Maxine Kaufman
Maxine Kaufman is the Executive Director of The Jewish Federation of Florida’s Gulf Coast-serving Pinellas, West Pasco, and Hernando Counties. She has spent most of her career working for, and leading Jewish non-profits throughout Florida. She is passionate about her faith and Jewish values, as they guide all of humanity. She has an inherent love for Israel and the plethora of technologies and science that hail from the Holy Land. Ms. Kaufman is originally from Pennsylvania and currently lives in St. Petersburg.
Associate Vice President for International Affairs
Dr. Lewin is responsible for the strategic planning and direction of the University of Maryland’s internationalization efforts. As the associate vice president for international affairs, he leads the office and its units in enhancing international programs and services for both the campus community and international visitors; promoting the internationalization of UMD undergraduate and graduate programs; and developing strategic partnerships with leading academic and research institutions, international corporations, and governmental and non-governmental organizations around the world. Dr. Lewin came to UMD in 2012 from the University of Connecticut, where he worked as the executive director of the Office of Global Programs and director of the Office of Study Abroad. He earned his B.A. in politics and literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and both his M.A. and his Ph.D. in German studies from Stanford University.
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Alivia is a senior at Clearwater Central Catholic High School, and a member of the CCC Water 4 Mercy Student Service Chapter leadership committee. She has been a member since her freshman year at CCC, and she has seen the club grow to encompass about 1/3 of the student body. In school, Alivia is an officer for Model United Nations, and heavily participates in Student Council, Drama Club, Communications Club, and Environmental Club. Outside of school, she has a passion for photography and volunteering in her community. Alivia played a big part in orchestrating and volunteering for the CCC W4M kickball fundraiser, Halloween movie night fundraiser, and Walk 4 Water fundraiser. She hopes to employ the help of other schools in her area to bring greater attention to Water 4 Mercy’s cause. Alivia is dedicated to the mission of inspiring her peers to make a difference in the world.
Seth M. Siegel, N-Drip’s Chief Sustainability Officer, is a writer, lawyer, activist, and serial entrepreneur.
Seth is the author of the award-winning, critically acclaimed New York Times bestseller Let There Be Water: Israel’s Solution for a Water-Starved World, which is now in print in 20 international editions representing more than 50 countries. He is also the author of Troubled Water: What's Wrong with What We Drink, a widely praised book that sets forth an ambitious agenda for a fundamental rethinking of America’s drinking water system. Seth’s motivational book, Other People's Words: Wisdom for an Inspired and Productive Life, reflects a lifetime of collecting inspirational quotations. All three were published by Macmillan publishing’s St. Martin's Press.
His essays on water and other issues have appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, and in leading publications in Europe and Asia.
Seth is a Senior Fellow at the University of Wisconsin’s Center for Water Policy. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Seth has spoken on water issues at hundreds of venues on four continents. Among the places he has spoken include the US Congress, the United Nations, the World Bank, Davos and at Google’s headquarters, on more than 40 college campuses, including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Yale, and Stanford–and during the Coronavirus lockdown, to dozens of others via video. He is a graduate of Cornell University and the Cornell Law School, and was a graduate student in international relations in Jerusalem.
Seth is the co-founder of several companies, including Beanstalk, the world’s leading trademark brand extension company, which he sold to Ford Motor Company. He was also a Producer of the Tony Award-nominated Broadway revival of Man of La Mancha. Seth sits on the board of several not-for-profit organizations. Among other recreational pursuits, Seth is an avid ping pong player.
All of the royalties from sales of Seth’s books are donated to charity.
For more information, visit www.SethMSiegel.com. You can connect with Seth on Twitter @SethMSiegel.
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Kevin Holloway is dedicated to improving lives through the performance of solutions and care by supplying sustainability needs to organizations around the world. As a graduate of the University of Florida, with a background in psychology, data conversions and business strategies, he has over 45 years of experience in Blended consulting services. His companies have built and managed relationships in medicine specialties for infectious diseases, immunological variants, government information systems, political campaigns and egalitarian diverse communities. Serving others and promoting resilient cultures has been his impetus and focus. His Unwavering dedicated support continually reminds us, Without Water, there is no Life! Providing clean water is mercy.
Matt’s 30+ years of experience as a licensed architect include roles ranging from project architect to firmwide group leadership. With a specialization in the design of hospitals and healthcare facilities, his experience spans project delivery, pursuit strategy & business development, staff development and business operations & management in domestic and global markets. In his current role as Market Vice President for Gresham Smith’s Healthcare sector he leads operations for 200 staff serving clients from 10 studio locations throughout the US. He earned his Master’s degree in architecture from the University of Florida and serves the future of the profession as a frequent lecturer at several state universities.
Matt has served the community locally and internationally in volunteer roles including youth sports, special needs, and providing pro-bono architectural services in the U.S., Haiti and Africa. He has also served as a board member for A Brighter Community and advisory board member for Gerald McCoy’s Patricia Dianne Foundation. He is currently an advisory board member at the Florida A&M School of Architecture & Engineering Technology.