Staff Members
Daniel Almagor - CEO
Daniel (affectionately known as Danny) grew up in Melbourne and after seven years at university, including two years abroad, finished a double degree in Aerospace Engineering and Business Administration at RMIT, majoring with first class honours in tracksuit-wearing. He worked in the outdoors for a bit but kept on flipping the canoe and getting groups lost in the woods so he decided to find another job. Since no engineering firm would take him, he had to start his own engineering firm, but with a twist, an NGO. And that’s how he became our beloved CEO.
Aside from EWB, Danny has a burning passion for gardening, reading, indoor soccer and learning about pretty much anything! He lives in Elwood with his wife, son and dog Pablo.
Kaj Löfgren - Executive Officer
Kaj (pronounced Kai) started his journey with EWB at the University of Melbourne while studying Civil Engineering and Arts. Always more interested in his arts subjects, particularly international development, he became involved with EWB and soon found himself president of the Melbourne Uni chapter. After that he spent six months interning at the EWB office and before long, had made himself so indispensible that we hired him and made him executive officer, which basically means that now he runs the show.
He is also very good at indoor soccer and can speak fluent Swedish which comes in very handy with our program partners in South East Asia.
Lizzie Brown - Operations Director
Lizzie was searching high and low for opportunities to work as an engineer on community development projects when she stumbled upon EWB – what a discovery! Linking up straight away with a couple of like minded people in Brisbane they formed the Queensland chapter.
This entangled Lizzie in the development and growth of EWB and its community and opened up an opportunity for her to take a trip to India on Oxfam’s Community Leadership Program. Wow. This experience of hearing directly from these communities convinced Lizzie that her greatest contribution lay within supporting learning and change initiatives here in Australia, both within the engineering profession and students.
Lizzie is lucky enough to work in all that sunshine from the Brisbane office at the University of QLD. She loves meeting new people and has lots of fun getting involved with local chapter events and being an amazing EWB champion. She loves riding in Gap Creek Reserve, immersing herself in a good book for days on end or walking the dog with the coolest name in town (sorry Danny!), Disco.
Shane Korosec - Webmaster
After completing an aerospace engineering / business administration degree at RMIT in 2000, Shane shortly after wrapped up a brief engineering career to pursue interests closer to his heart.
Subsequently he found himself involved in assisting a dedicated team in raising EWB Australia from a idea to an operating organisation. He is now our website programmer and enjoys music, travelling and expanding his awareness of the the universe around him when he's not (and also when he is) looking at a computer screen.
Todd Houstein - Knowledge Manager
One of the first EWB employees, our Tasmanian devil Todd helped start the EWB movement while researching stand-alone renewable energy systems in Hobart. Well and truly entangled in the EWB community, Todd relocated to Melbourne to take on the position of Campaigns and Awareness Director. He was responsible for the infamous 3-metre high LEGO wind turbine; measuring, reducing and offsetting EWB’s greenhouse gas emissions; and leading EWB to be one of the first non-government organisations to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan.
Todd is now our Knowledge Manager, as he is the one we go to for all our answers from home brew recipes, IT support, sustainability quandaries and pretty much everything else. He knows stuff. Away from the office, Todd tinkers away on various appropriate technology projects (hot water bottles for his tomato plants – what the?) in his backyard and loves playing music.
Kim Axworthy - South East Asia Programs
Kim first came across EWB via the Internet in 2005. She realized that there was no chapter in Western Australia so set one up. WA quickly became one of the most successful chapters within Australia. In 2006 Kim became a member of EWB staff coordinating fundraising for the organisation. Her bright and bubbly personality was just what the doctor ordered and she quickly turned the EWB deficit into a surplus.
Kim now coordinates the south east Asia volunteer program another program which is going from strength to strength. With recent departures she is now the senior member of the working with communities team and second longest serving member of staff.
In her spare time Kim volunteers with the local WA chapter coordinating a new Indigenous program, teaches gymnastics and is rapidly becoming an expert vegetable gardener.
Lizzy Skinner - Programs, Indigenous Australia
Lizzy began her career working at Melbourne Water where she developed quite a reputation for disappearing for up to months at a time. One such disappearance took her to Kooma country to assist with land management projects and in return, Lizzy was offered the unique experience and education into Indigenous culture in Australia. Lizzy was more inspired by this education than her formal engineering/science one and so she jumped off the mainstream engineering ship. Weee!
A passion for travel took her on another big adventure which included working with farmers in southern Namibia on sustainable practices. But then she was dreaming of a return home, and a desire to be back working with Indigenous Australians. This is where Lizzy’s EWB adventure began!
Lizzy is the most passionate ambassador about everything Indigenous, she just loves it and can’t imagine ever wanting to do anything else. She still loves disappearing off on amazing outdoor expeditions mountain biking across beautiful parts of the world, cross country skiing and makes the best lemon cakes in town.
Ian Cunningham - South Asia Programs Coordinator
Ian worked in environmental engineering in sunny Sydney and picturesque NZ before joining the EWB team. He got his feet wet when he landed the ultimate 18 mth placement as an EWB volunteer in Bali on the Tenganan Water Supply Project. Fully entangled in the EWB community, it was a natural step he move to Melbourne to take on the South Asia Programs Co-ordinator role at National HQ. A position essentially described as ‘fun’. Sure why not, doing something he cares about - connecting people and helping others achieve their aspirations, whilst getting to travel occasionally to exotic locations overseas, how could it be described as anything but!
Outside of his fun working hours, Ian is always striving to live a dynamic life, he is a fan of anything and everything outdoors - particularly if it involves salt water swimming and he currently holds the title for the bravest coldest ocean swim!
Nathalie Cattaneo - Marketing and Communications Officer
After finishing her studies in Journalism and PR, Nathalie travelled and worked her way around Europe, mostly in France, Greece and Italy (lucky thing!). She returned to her home town of Perth to work with the Australian Greens Party and then relocated to Melbourne to work with the EWB Organisational Development team and supersize anything EWB Marketing & Communications.
She is our uber organised Event Coordinator taking on both the National Council and EWB National Conference - go Nat! She is a non-gineer and loves swimming, writing, playing the flute and ballroom dancing. She can often be found on the top floor eating any food that Kaj is saving for his lunch.
Annie Wormald - External Relations
Annie first joined the Melbourne EWB headquarters in 2009 to work within the Organisational Development team. After an extensive stint in London working in the Music Industry, she returned home to Oz to fulfil the dream and find that job that really makes a difference. Boy did she find it!
Annie is a non-gineer, and feels very lucky to have such lovely workmates. She loves thanking the EWB donors, supporters and corporate partners and keeping them informed of all that goes on in the EWB community. Annie is keen to talk fundraising, loves gardening, playing guitar and sunshine - its a rarity to see her without a smile!
Dan Loden - Education Officer
Dan came along to his first WA Chapter meeting in 2006, not realising that he was about to become entangled for the long haul! Since then, Dan has created and coordinated the WA Chapter’s extensive education initiatives and mentored a growing group of volunteers to develop a broad range of programs and material. In 2008, Dan became the WA chapter president and promptly headed overseas to India on an EWB placement.
Dan spent several months at the Uluru Children’s Home, conducting an energy audit, making recommendations, and teaching the kids how to ride bikes. Dan is now employed as the EWB Challenge Coordinator, running an Australia-wide design competition for first-year engineering students. Dan also enjoys riding his bike and throwing dress up parties.
Dan is extremely passionate about EWB, particulary the WA Chapter or anything Western Australian!
Amanda Cahill - Programs Coordinator, Development Strategy and Practice
Amanda first joined EWB a few years ago (this is a long story including an improvisation theatre group and our very first DEE Program in India) ask her to tell you about it one day. Amanda has an amazing community development background, previously working on projects in Brazil, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Indigenous Australia - cosa afortunada (lucky thing!)
Now based in sunny Queensland with Lizzie B, she is busy coordinating the development strategy, local projects and DEEs. While she isn’t keeping fellow EWB-ers up until 2am philosophising or dancing, Amanda can be found completing her PhD, planning a wedding or generously offering her staff mates a killer massage on staff retreats!
We really do have the best jobs in the world.
Jeremy Smith - Undergraduate Research Officer
Jeremy joined the ACT Chapter of EWB shortly after it started in 2005. After then being inspired at the first EWB National Conference, he started altering his work towards EWB. Now in various guises, Jeremy coordinates EWB’s undergraduate research program and has been an official staff member since 2007.
In one of his other lives, Jeremy works at the School of Engineering at the ANU in Canberra. This allows him to visit the real-world occasionally without actually having to live there. He is looking forward to the time when the 4-day working week is introduced so people have the choice between a 3-day weekend or 2 mini weeks of 2-days each. He is also a beer snob, believing beer should be served at the correct temperature, you should personally know the brewer, and come in nothing smaller than a pint glass.
Kate Rogers - Finance
Kate is our finance department. Seriously. She is our super star beancounter and loves everything about her department. Mention the word processing, budgeting and forecasting and her eyes shine. Kate joined the EWB team after spending many years at Village Cinemas, she slipped into the Organisational Development team a month ago and is already mastering the maze of EWB acronyms!
Kate has 3 lovely boys; 1 big, 2 small. One of the small ones recently donated his tooth fairy money to EWB (cute!), she loves spending time down the coast with them all and is enjoying the challenges of life with a new puppy Molly – especially during a storm.
Head Office Volunteers
A big round of applause to our fantastic Head Office volunteers. We couldn't do it without you, thank you!
| Andrew Thomas |
Tracey Main |
| Monika Loskot |
Robert Bekker |
| Caitlin Pilkington | Mohit Jagasia |
| Nicole Teo | Lie Suhendra |
“Volunteering at EWB continues to be an invaluable experience. From the first day that I had contact with the organisation I was enamoured with the enthuasism and warmth of all the staff and volunteers. There is a strong commitment to community and shared common values of respect and compassion are constant threads through all of EWBs work, which I really appreciate. Regardless of what I do, I always feel valued and as though I'm contributing to something worthwhile and greater than myself.
”
Natasha Whitelaw, EWB Programs Volunteer