Board of Directors
 Elena Davis |
Elena Davis Elena Davis is the President of I Am Waters Foundation, the nonprofit organization she founded in 2009. In the 1980s and 90s, Elena was best known as a top fashion model. For over fifteen years, her image graced the covers of magazines, appeared in ads, on the pages of fashions most prestigious magazines, and she has been in more than 40 national T.V. commercials. She paused long enough to marry Gregg Davis in 1994, and finally retired from her successful modeling career after the birth of their first child. Since 1997, Gregg and Elena and their three wonderful children have called Houston home. Her feel-good story might have ended here but something propelled Elena to reveal a part of her life she had kept hidden for decades from the world – prior to modeling she’d spent a transient childhood in extreme need and bleak poverty. Very few people knew Elena was one of four kids raised by a single mother on less than three thousand dollars a year and food stamps. Neither her friends nor her children knew that as a child, Elena lived on the margins on society, attended a dozen schools, and finally dropped out of school in the 8th grade to work and support her family. She was soon introduced to a fashion photographer who took her first shots. She moved to Paris to pursue modeling at age 16. After a year of modeling overseas Elena returned back to the States and signed with the renowned Ford Agency, to begin what was to become a lucrative and successful career as a print and fashion model. It was the loss of her beloved father-in-law in 2004 that caused Elena to reexamine the comfortable life she had achieved for herself. After an encounter with a homeless woman seeking water on the streets of Houston, the call to action was strong, she knew her place was to help people living on the streets. Elena launched I Am Waters Foundation. Today, with the support of Gregg and her family, Elena dedicates herself to expanding I Am Waters to provide spiritual and physical hydration to the American homeless. She is the full-time, President of I Am Waters and manages its day-to-day operations, fundraising and strategic expansion. Homelessness is a national problem that gnaws at our country’s economic recovery and future. I am so impressed and inspired by the many great organizations that help the homeless with housing, job skills and food. I Am Waters compliments these groups with our straight-forward mission to provide clean water to the homeless on the streets. Water is the body’s the most fundamental need. I Am Waters provides our inspirational water bottles to homeless organizations for free to distribute to their clients in ways they deem best. We also seek to bring a human face to the American homeless which we deliver through our image-based awareness and education campaigns that educate and engender compassion in order to cause change. Read more about The Founder |
 Maureen Hackett |
Maureen Hackett Maureen O’Gara Hackett is one of America’s most dedicated community volunteers and philanthropists. Maureen shares her time with civic organizations throughout the U.S. She currently serves as Past Chair of the Greater Houston Community Foundation, Director of the Board of the Menninger Clinic, member of MD Anderson Cancer Center Board of Visitors, Trustee of Mental Health America Houston, President of the Mental Health Court Foundation, and is a member of the Governing Council of Rice University Shepherd School of Music. She is Chair of Nantucket Cottage Hospital Foundation, a Director of the Nantucket Dreamland Foundation, Vice Chair of the Center on Philanthropy Board of Visitors at Indiana University Purdue University, and is a Director of the Advisory Board of the Alliance for Catholic Education at the University of Notre Dame.Maureen is a graduate of Arizona State University. Before starting her family, Maureen worked in the Healthcare industry, as well as Business Administration. Maureen and her husband Jim have four adult children and recently became grandparents. Maureen explains her involvement in IAW: Just like Elena, I believe in the power of the American dream. All of our citizens deserve the opportunity to pursue their dreams, provide for their families, and contribute to society. When someone is homeless and that dream slips away, the helplessness felt is unimaginable to me. IAW is dedicated to helping the homeless regain hope, and encourages them to believe in themselves. IAW provides sunshine for so many living in a dark place. This is important to me and why I am involved. |
 Jim Pierce |
Jim Pierce Jim Pierce serves as Chairman of the IAW Board. He is also chairman of Marsh’s Energy and Infrastructure Practices, where his principal role is one of team leadership and direction for more than 300 colleagues worldwide. In the energy sector, he is responsible for overseeing all operations that involve upstream and downstream energy insurances for more than 1,000 companies in the energy sectors worldwide. Jim is a frequent contributor to industry publications and has spoken at RIMS and International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) events, and the World Petroleum Congress, among other venues. Jim was involved in Big Brothers and Sisters of Houston for a number of years. He and his wife Dabney now focus their energies on raising their own four children. I have known Elena and her husband Gregg for many years, and I had the pleasure of being part of the early planning days when IAW evolved from a seedling in Elena’s mind to the blossoming tree it has become today. I am delighted to serve as IAW’s first Chairman, helping to serve the American homeless, and setting an example for my children about the importance of serving our community for the greater good. |
 Kim Petersen |
Kim Maresh Petersen Kim Maresh Petersen serves as Treasurer on the IAW Board. She recently retired from J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. as Managing Director, where she managed institutional and private client relationships. For the majority of her 20-year career, at JPMorgan, Mrs. Petersen advised ultra high net worth clients on asset management, credit, wealth transfer, philanthropy and inter-generational wealth planning strategies.Mrs. Petersen is active in Houston’s philanthropic community, where she serves on The Children’s Museum of Houston Board of Directors and Marketing Committee, River Oaks Baptist School Finance, Development Committees; Duchesne Academy Investment Committee, University of Texas Health Science Center Leaders of Tomorrow Council, and various committees with Heroes for Children. Mrs. Petersen graduated from The University of Texas at Austin. She and her husband, Randy, have three children.Kim explains her involvement in IAW, Watching Elena launch IAW, and seeing the impact the of the first year’s water delivery, drew me to the organization. I am involved with several established non-profit organizations and excited in helping Elena build IAW from the ground up. What I like is that we are committed not only to meeting the physical and spiritual needs of the American homeless, but also to engaging the public in the plight of the homeless and bring about real change. |
 Terri Havens |
Terri Havens Terri Havens is CEO/Owner of Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, a destination health spa in Vista, California, located in a secluded valley 40 miles north of San Diego. This exclusive resort, with a 5:1 staff to guest ratio, has an award winning wellness program tailored to suit personal fitness and wellness needs, and was voted the top Destination Health Spa in North America every year since 2008. A native of New Orleans, Terri graduated from Louisiana State University and promptly entered the field of advertising and marketing in New Orleans. She owned an advertising agency and published the New Orleans social magazine, St. Charles Avenue prior to purchasing the Cal-a-Vie.Terri, her husband John and three children now live in Houston where Terri is very active with philanthropic activities, especially those that address well being. She serves on the advisory boards of the Children’s Museum of Houston and Bayou Bend Gardens. She chairs events and programs for many worthy organizations including Texas Children’s Hospital, and Hermann Park Conservancy.As a board member, I Am Waters welcomes Terri’s sharp business acumen and innovative approaches to health and well-being. Terri says, My goal for my board involvement in the I Am Waters Foundation is to help the organization think boldly and nationally about how to transform the spiritual and physical well being of the American homeless through the body’s most fundamental need – water. |
 Kent Kahle |
Kent Kahle Kent Kahle is a co-founder of GulfStar Group, a Houston based institutional middle market investment bank. He has more than 30 years of investment banking and corporate finance experience. Prior to 1990, he was a Senior Vice President and Director of Rotan Mosle Inc. from 1982 to 1990 and from 1977 to 1980 Manager of Investor Relations at Geosource Inc., a NYSE oil services company. From 1975 to 1977, Kent worked in the President Ford Administration as a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of the Interior. Kent has served on 14 public and private company boards throughout his career. His current non-profit activities include serving on the Board of IAW and as an Advisory Director of Theatre Under the Stars, Inc., where he previously served as Board Chairman. Mr. Kahle grew up in Missouri, Florida and Connecticut before moving to Texas 34 years ago. He is a graduate of Brown University and has an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Kent is married to Cindy Vietor Kahle and they have three children. Based on my experience advising numerous corporations, the success enjoyed by IAW in its early years is truly exceptional. The drive and passion of its founder is an inspiration for all of us. |
 Dr. David S. Buck |
Dr. David S. Buck Dr. David Buck began working with the underserved developing medical and dental clinics for indigent populations in Houston in 1984 after working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India. In 1999, he founded Healthcare for the Homeless—Houston (HHH), where he continues practicing medicine and serves as the President. The mission of HHH is to promote health, hope and dignity to Houston’s homeless through accessible and comprehensive care. Last year they served more than 10,000 homeless individuals through three primary care clinics, street outreach, a transportation assistance program and innovative Jail Inreach Project. (To learn more about HHH’s services, please visit www.homeless-healthcare.org). As a Professor at Baylor College of Medicine’s Department of Family & Community Medicine he supervises the Houston Outreach Medicine Education and Social Services (HOMES) track that provides the opportunity for third-year medical students to earn credit by working at the HOMES Clinic, a student-managed homeless clinic founded by Dr. Buck and a former medical student that is operated by HHH. For his role mentoring students he was honored with the American Association of Medical Colleges Humanism in Medical Education Award from Baylor College of Medicine in 2000 and 2003.Dr. Buck currently serves on the National Healthcare for the Homeless Network’s Research Coordinating Council, was founding Chair of Doctor’s for Change, and serves on the board of The Harris County Healthcare Alliance, The Street Medicine Institute, The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship and Healthcare for Special Populations. Other academic achievements include the development of the practice of Goal Negotiated Care as part of homeless medical care, which he has presented nationally and internationally.IAW met Dr. Buck to better understand how lack of access to clean safe drinking water and heat-related injuries affect the health and outlook of the homeless. We have worked with him and HHH ever since. Dr. Buck explains that there is a significant portion of the homeless who suffer from chronic diseases made worse by dehydration. Patients will come into HHH clinics for their medication but are too-dehydrated to safely take it. Before partnering with IAW, at HHH we could only provide tap water in clean urine specimen cups to our clients and now each client gets a fresh cold IAW bottle to take their medicine and take out with them, keeping them hydrated on the streets. It is a truly a gift for their health and mind. |
 Joseph Benson |
Joseph Benson Joseph Benson, SEARCH Homeless Services Volunteer & Community Outreach Associate, is a double amputee and was homeless in Houston for four years. His decision to partner with SEARCH set his life back on the road to become a contributing citizen of Houston again. Joseph advocates for the homeless on many different fronts. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the Change Committee (Consumer Advisory Board), is an active member on the Healthcare for the Homeless Houston’s Board of Directors, is an active member of the National HealthCare for the Homeless National Consumer Advisory Board and is the former Marketing Coordinator for the Company Kitchen (a business enterprise created by SEARCH to encourage employment in the culinary arts within the homeless community). |
Board of Advisors
 Peter Duke |
Peter Duke Creative Advisor Peter Duke is a creative director with a rich background in technology, advertising, business management that has worked in senior positions for Richard Bransen’s Virgin Entertainment Group, Steven Spielberg’s GameWorks, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., and 20th Century Fox. |
 Walt Becker |
Walt Becker Walt Becker is an accomplished and successful motion picture writer and director. His directing credits include: the comedy Wild Hogs( featuring John Travolta, Tim Allen, and Martin Lawrence) Touchtone Pictures, National Lampoon’s Van Wilder and the upcoming comedy Old Dogs(featuring Robin Williams, John Travolta, and Matt Dillon) Walt Disney Pictures. |
