Gary White (engineer)

{{Short description|American nonprofit founder and CEO}}

File:Gary White 01.jpg at the event "Water Matters" at the Nobel Week Dialogue 2018 in Stockholm]]

Gary White is the CEO and co-founder of Water.org.

White earned a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology in 1985 and 1987, respectively,

{{cite web

|url =http://www.umsystem.edu/stories/gary_white_water_warrior

|title= Gary White: Water Warrior

|publisher=University of Missouri System

|date=April 3, 2012

|accessdate=July 22, 2015}}

and also holds an M.S. in Environmental Engineering with an emphasis on water supply and sanitation in developing countries, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

.{{cite web

|url =http://www.fastcompany.com/user/gary-white

|title =Fast Company User

|accessdate =July 22, 2015

|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20150723150418/http://www.fastcompany.com/user/gary-white

|archive-date =July 23, 2015

|url-status =dead

}}

In 1990, he co-founded WaterPartners, an American nonprofit developmental aid organization focused on universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation for people in developing countries.

{{cite web

|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/stories/2007/12/03/daily35.html

|title=Ex-Aquila COO Stamm takes job with nonprofit

|publisher=KC Business Journal

|date=December 6, 2007

|accessdate=July 22, 2015}}

In July 2009, WaterPartners merged with Matt Damon's H2O Africa Foundation to create Water.org.

{{cite web

|url=http://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/damon-joins-k-c-organization-to-provide-for-developing-communities/article_1deb6bb7-73c2-5830-9423-68873492f39f.html

|title= Damon joins K.C. organization to provide for developing communities

|publisher=Associated Press

|date=July 15, 2009

|accessdate=July 22, 2015}}

White is a founding member of the Global Water Challenge

{{cite web|url=http://www.globalwaterchallenge.org/organizations.cfm |title=GWC: Partner Organizations |publisher=Global Water Challenge |date=July 2, 2007 |accessdate=July 22, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701184623/http://www.globalwaterchallenge.org/organizations.cfm |archivedate=July 1, 2007 }}

, the Millennium Water Alliance

{{cite web

|url=http://www.therolladailynews.com/article/20131206/NEWS/131209181

|title=Water.org co-founder to speak at graduation

|publisher=The Rolla Daily News

|date= December 6, 2013

|accessdate=July 22, 2015}}

, and Chairman of the Steering Committee for WASH Advocates.

{{cite web

|url = http://www.washadvocates.org/about-us/leadership-and-staff/

|title = WASH Advocates Staff and Leadership

|accessdate = July 22, 2015

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150723141431/http://www.washadvocates.org/about-us/leadership-and-staff/

|archivedate = July 23, 2015

}}

in 2009, White was named an adviser to the Clinton Global Initiative{{cite web|url=https://www.clintonfoundation.org/main/news-and-media/press-releases-and-statements/president-barack-obama-and-president-bill-clinton-address-the-opening-plenary-se.html|title=President Barack Obama and President Bill Clinton Address the Opening Plenary Session of the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative|date=September 22, 2009|accessdate=July 23, 2015|archive-date=September 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928132346/https://www.clintonfoundation.org/main/news-and-media/press-releases-and-statements/president-barack-obama-and-president-bill-clinton-address-the-opening-plenary-se.html|url-status=dead}} and in 2011, White and his co-founder Matt Damon were included in the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people

.

{{cite web |url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2066367_2066369_2066144,00.html

|title=The 2011 Time 100

|work=Time

|date=April 21, 2011

|access-date=July 23, 2015}}

He was the recipient of the 2012 World Social Impact Award from the World Policy Institute,{{cite web |url=http://www.worldpolicy.org/aroundthetable2012 |title=World Policy Around the Table 2012 |date=May 3, 2012 |accessdate=July 22, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117065325/http://www.worldpolicy.org/aroundthetable2012 |url-status=dead }} was named one of the Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneurs of 2012{{cite web |url=http://www.schwabfound.org/content/gary-white |title=Social Entrepreneur: Gary White|publisher=Schwab Foundation|date=2012|accessdate=July 22, 2015}} and was named one of Missouri University of Science and Technology's 28 Alumni of Influence.{{cite web |url=http://www.therolladailynews.com/article/20131218/News/131218839 |title=Water.org CEO tells S&T grads to follow their passion |publisher=The Rolla Daily News |date=December 18, 2013 |accessdate=July 23, 2015}} In 2017, White was awarded the Forbes 400 Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Entrepreneurship.{{Cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2017/09/19/forbes-hosts-sixth-annual-forbes-400-summit-on-philanthropy-in-honor-of-its-100th-anniversary/#451a67274409|work=Forbes |title=Forbes Hosts Sixth Annual Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy in Honor of Its 100th Anniversary}}

In 2022, Gary White and fellow Water.org co-founder, Matt Damon, authored The Worth of Water. The book invites readers to match hope with resources, to empower families and communities with safe water, and to end the global water crisis for good.{{Citation needed|date=October 2023}}