The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute announces new executive director

Joe Sanders is the newly appointed executive director of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska.  

Sanders brings nearly three decades of international experience to the role, including leading eight major USAID-funded initiatives totaling over $330 million, with a focus on agricultural market systems, food security, climate resilience, irrigation, WASH, youth livelihoods and governance programs throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

He specializes in creating long-term impact through locally driven development and strengthening institutions. Across Kenya and East Africa, Sanders has played a key role in increasing trade, strengthening agriculture and livestock markets, expanding climate-smart innovations and driving private-sector investment.  

Under his leadership, teams have partnered with more than 2,600 cooperatives and small enterprises, helping them gain access to capital, infrastructure, and commercial markets, with a focus on expanding economic opportunities for women and youth. 

Sanders has also been a part of post-disaster recovery and climate resilience efforts in countries including Zimbabwe, Nepal, Bolivia and Afghanistan.  

Known for building effective teams and aligning public-private partnerships, he helped unlock more than $240 million in leveraged investment by working closely with governments, civil society organizations and private-sector partners in highly complex operating environments. 

He earned an M.Sc. in Managing Rural Development from the University of London and a B.Sc. in Biology from the Catholic University of America. Sanders is based in Nairobi and is known for a forward-looking approach to community engagement and applied research.  

As executive director, Sanders will continue to build DWFI’s position as a global leader and partner in the international water and food communities by providing leadership, strategic direction and oversight for the Institute’s three primary missions: research, education and policy. 

Photo courtesy of Joe Sanders and the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute.