OUR TEAM
Cameron M Krummel
Founder, CFO
Graduating in 2002 with a B.A. from Portland State University, Cameron Krummel returned to Santiago Atitlan, where he lived from aged five until nineteen. He was quick to get involved again in the community of his childhood, working for local organizations as a Tzutujil/English/Spanish interpreter. In 2016 Cameron founded Tui'k Ruch' Lew to focus on the social-environmental issues threatening the lake and the people that are so close to his heart. As founder and CFO Cameron has led the organization through its first years as a nationally registered NGO in Guatemala.
Isabel Quinilla
Founder, Technology Adaptation Specialist I
Raised by her grandparents in San Juan La Laguna on Lake Atitlan, Isabel first specialized as head chef for a local school and then as a community nutritionist. This role brought her into contact with the chronic issues caused by smoke inhalation. As an owner of an ONIL stove for 16 years and with a background in culinary arts, Isa has been an enthusiastic proponent of the environmental and health benefits of the stoves. In 2016 Isabel officially became Tui'k Ruch' Lew's first Technology Adaptation Specialist, lending her talents and community connections to the organization.
Candis E Krummel
Founder, Innovation Director
After retiring as founder and director of the Cojolya Association of Maya Women Weavers and working as an international design consultant, Candis was able to dedicate herself full-time to Tui'k Ruch' Lew. Using her design skills to envision solutions to environmental issues, we find ourselves lucky to have her invaluable depth of knowledge acquired as a resident of Santiago Atitlan for over 40 years. She serves Tuik Ruch Lew as our volunteer Lead Program Developer.
Dr. Jessica Kind
Executive Director
Jessica joined Tui’k Ruch’Lew in August 2020 after implementing water and sanitation projects in Guatemala since 2018. She holds a PhD in environmental science and brings more than 10 years of experience managing and leading environmental and climate initiatives in the nonprofit and private sectors. She also teaches environmental education at the local university and gives sustainability workshops to local schools. Working in an inter- and multicultural environment was and is an essential element of her life. Jessica will apply all her skill to develop, together with the team, a post-COVID strategy, where clean cookstoves and biogas plants for wastewater will help the local community to protect the environment from deforestation and create sustainable job opportunities.
José Cua Ajuchan
Lead Project Technician
José, raised in Santiago Atitlán, joined Tui'k Ruch’Lew in June of 2019 after years of construction experience in the Lake Atitlán community. Previously a private contractor, José brings expertise in home building and stove installation to the organization. With 3 years of experience installing stoves for Cojolya, he directly applies this wealth of local knowledge to the Improved Cookstove Technology Project. José is also involved in community agriculture, as an owner and manager of avocado, coffee, and corn crops. In addition to facilitating stove installation and maintenance, José supports the Outreach Team in technology adaptation and data collection.
María Sosof Sosof
Technology Adaptation Specialist II
Maria, an ONIL stove user and Tzutujil woman, began her career in early education in Santiago Atitlan. She has been recognized both regionally and internationally for her work with the community, first as a Youth Representative to an international conference held in Nicaragua on Racism and HIV/AIDS. Maria subsequently represented the Office of Tzutujil Women's Affairs when she traveled to Norway as part of a cultural exchange between Guatemala and Norway. Maria has a strong commitment to the community. Volunteering in the aftermath of Hurricane Stan, which brought terrible destruction to our community, she assisted in emergency community vaccination efforts. She is currently the president of Mujeres Emprendedoras, a community-based Microsavings group and serves on the board of the Comite de Salud Xechivoy. Maria's experiences globally and locally give her a unique perspective on development interventions and her life experiences bring an intimate knowledge of the community to our Outreach Team with a context specific to Santiago Atitlan and Tzutujil culture.
Ava Scott
Program Manager
Ava Scott joined Tui'k Ruch' Lew in 2019 as a PiLA Fellow after graduating from the University of Virginia with degrees in Global Environments and Sustainability, and Spanish. During a semester in Buenos Aires, she studied Argentine Literature and Political Science at la Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA). She has volunteered at the Hospital del Niño in Lima, Peru and worked for the non-profits Amazon Conservation Association and Ashden on topics related to deforestation, water management and energy access. Ava is committed to working with local communities to advance environmental and social change. Ava is now our programs director, and coordinates all monitoring and evaluation activities.
Andy Pethan
Data Systems Architect
Andy recently joined the TRL team bringing his background in engineering, programing, data analytics, education and curriculum design. Raised in Appleton, WI, he attended the Olin College of Engineering in Boston, MA and then spent the past seven years in Minnesota working in education. His Spanish-language journey began in college with a four-week social entrepreneurship trip to several towns around Guatemala. Since then, he and his wife, Kirsten, decided to move to Santiago with their children, Josie, Lukas, and Juliana. Andy will apply his programming skills to automate data collection and to minimize manual office work. Andy will also support project research and design to launch new ideas that continue to move TRL forward.