Meet The Team

Board of Directors

Robert Willard

President

Robert Willard studied Economics and Slavic Studies at Columbia University, New York. He founded the World Aral Region Charity as a NGO to help connect young American volunteers with the Aral Region in innovative ecological volunteering. Robert has served in other organisations, including the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia, the UN Peace and Development Advisor for the South Caucasus, and the Albany-Tula Alliance. He is also has a background in theater pedagogy!

Gulsara Shirmatova

Vice President of Uzbekistan Office

Gulsara Shirmatova holds a PhD in Political Science. She worked as the head of a department at the Institute of Philosophy and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, a consultant on national policy in the Office of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan. She is currently retired.

Muzaffar Ismailov

Vice President of Organizational Development

Muzaffar has expertise in community development, social research, and project management. His experience includes working in the nonprofit sector and the UN system where he used evidence-based practices to meet the needs of diverse populations
He is currently a faculty member at Webster University in Tashkent, where he teaches undergraduate classes in Design Thinking, Sustainability, and Environmental Ethics.

Paola Ripoll

Treasurer

Paola was the project coordinator for WARC’s educational projects in Karakalpakstan, focusing on how civil society complements institutional climate action at the grassroots level. She explores the role of arts and cultural heritage in society-building and has experience in environmental social governance, corporate sustainability, and legal services. Paola holds a B.A. in History from Columbia University and is a law student and human rights fellow at Columbia Law School.

Samyukta Somvanshi

Secretary

Samyukta, a former journalist now serving as a communications strategist, is passionate about driving change through impactful communication and advocacy.

With a commitment to climate resilience and a profound interest in different cultures, she channels her skills to try and effect real change.

Javokhir Makhmudov

Board Member

Javokhir was the media team leader and visual designer for WARC's environmental projects in Karakalpakstan. He is passionate about empowering youth in eco-advocacy and has extensive experience in educational technologies, developing hands-on engineering projects for young learners.

2025 - 2026 Team

Project Managers

Fazilat Kariyeva - team leader

Abduja'far Rashidov

Alisher Eshbekov

Media Interns

Javohir Ismailov

Samandar Kalmuratov

Volunteers