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

Treasurer

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.

Fazilat Kariyeva

Board Member

Community project planner and environmental educator focused on the Aral Sea region. Contributed to 10+ educational initiatives, supported youth engagement projects, and co-authored an eco-action guidebook for the Amu Darya Educational program. Currently researching how to teach environmental journalism in schools, with a focus on empowering young voices and nurturing the next generation of eco-leaders.

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 - Head of Admin

Alisher Eshbekov - Head of Partnerships

Javohir Ismailov - Media Leader

Dilfuza Seitimova - Head Trainer

Advisory Team

Feruzjon Ochildiyev - Filtration Analysis

Azizbek Chanaev - Computer Education