Water For People CEO, Eleanor Allen, Recognized for Leadership and Advocacy

DENVER, February 7, 2020 — Water For People CEO, Eleanor Allen, will be inducted into the esteemed National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) Class of 2020. Nominated by Georgia Institute of Technology professor, Dr. John Koon, Allen is being recognized for leadership and advocacy in making clean water and sanitation systems accessible to people around the world. Election to the NAE is considered among the highest honors in engineering-related fields, and often comes as recognition for a lifetime of accomplishments. Nomination for membership can only be done by a current member of the NAE and is reserved for outstanding engineers with identifiable contributions in the field. The induction ceremony takes place in Washington, DC on October 4, 2020.

In another recent distinction, Allen was recognized as one of the Top 10 Influential Women of Water at the inaugural Mazars Women of Water Summit on January 9, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. Allen was nominated by her peers for her achievements related to innovation and sustainability. Both represent key pillars of her work leading the delivery safe, reliable water and sanitation services across nine countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia.

"I was honored to be chosen by other female leaders in the water sector," Allen said. "It was inspiring to attend the inaugural summit, which focused on enhancing the position of women in the industry, and I hope this award will inspire other women to lead the sector with innovation and sustainability always top of mind."

Allen is a licensed civil engineer and board-certified environmental engineer with technical expertise in water and wastewater treatment. Prior to joining Water For People, she worked globally as an engineering consultant for Arcadis and CH2M (now Jacobs) running Global and Latin American operations. Her dedication to the water and waste water industry was spurred by her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic. She outlines that experience in her TEDx talk on Why Water Is A Women’s Issue.

About Water For People:
Founded in 1991 in Denver, Colorado, Water For People is a global nonprofit working across nine countries in Latin America, Asia, and Africa to achieve lasting access to clean water and sanitation services. Water For People brings together communities, local entrepreneurs, and governments to build, operate, and maintain their own systems so that every family, health clinic, and school has access to safe water and sanitation that will last for generations to come. This impact model is called Everyone Forever. Learn more at www.waterforpeople.org.