International Beauty Queen Creates Global Steering Committee to Solve Bangalore, India Water Crisis

NEW YORK, Dec. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- There have historically been over 300 lakes around Bangalore that provided fresh water for drinking and recreation, diverse vegetation and habitat, and lakeside culture for the local community. In the past 30 years, these lakes have rapidly disappeared due to development and have been heavily polluted by human and industrial waste. Only 80 now remain, and even they provide only often foul-smelling, contaminated water and disease for those who drink it. 

Miss Earth 2011, Nicole Faria, is from Bangalore, India.  Nicole has made the solution to the Bangalore lakes problem the focus of her reign. She is involved with the local United Way in an initial lake cleanup project with the government and has also identified and partnered with the Sherwood Institute.

Sherwood Institute is a nonprofit arm of Sherwood Design Engineers, a San Francisco, CA-based firm with proven results in international projects of scale relating to fresh, clean water. Their role is to develop a master plan for all the lakes and watersheds in Bangalore to ensure a whole-system solution that is sustainable over time.

In October of this year, Nicole and Sherwood Institute formed a steering committee specifically for this project that includes business leaders, entrepreneurs and technical experts. The Steering Committee's mission is to set the execution plan and metrics for successful education, visibility and fundraising throughout the scope of the project. The Steering Committee participants represent a broad base of expertise and geography from Bangalore, India; Boston, MA; New York City and San Francisco, CA. Members include:

Bill Bean: Boston, MA - LEED® AP, President, Green Planning & Coaching -- Steering Committee facilitator, expertise in strategic and tactical planning, execution and metrics. 

Vivek Menon: Bangalore, India - Managing Director Invicus Engineering, expertise in Engineering with a strong local presence, in business, politics and personal/corporate donors.

Nick Pahade: New York City - Advertising and technology executive, CEO Traffiq,- expertise in digital media/marketing. Connected with Indian (and other) professionals of means in the US and India.

Sudhir Sahu: Mountain View, CA - expertise in technology & the environment, entrepreneurial background, focus on identifying and cultivating prospective donors.

Alex Skora: NYC - Entrepreneur, CEO of Estron Chemical (manufacturer of polymers for environmentally-friendly coatings), background in international business & global policy, well-connected in NYC business community.

Michel St Pierre: San Francisco, CA - Principal / Director of Planning and Urban Design - EHDD Architecture and Urban Design. Expertise in Planning and developing large scale projects in India. Connected with Indian (and other) professionals and developers in India.

Michael Thornton: New York City - Managing Director of Sherwood Institute. PE, LEED® AP. Project Manager for Sherwood Design Institute. Engineering expertise in international water projects of scale.

For more information on the Bangalore Lakes Restoration project go to www.sherwoodinstitute.org/bangalore or contact Bill Bean at [email protected] or 413-243-8008.

SOURCE Traffiq