WHO WE ARE
Nick Mucha
Executive Director
Nick Mucha is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Project Wave of Optimism USA. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in political science at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2002. After working in sales for a year and a half, he joined the Peace Corps where he served as a Municipal Development volunteer in rural Honduras from 2004-2006. He focused on a variety of projects ranging among locally-led tourism initiatives, women’s empowerment groups, and alternative education projects.
Adam Monaghan
Director of Operations
Adam Monaghan is the Co-Founder and Director of Operations for Project Wave of Optimism USA. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in theology from Boston College in 2003. During the spring 2002 semester he attended La Universidad de San Francisco in Quito, Ecuador where he lived with a host family and traveled throughout South America. From 2004-2006 he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Municipal Development program in Honduras. There he worked on a wide range of projects including strategic municipal planning, topographic land surveying for potable water systems, project proposal writing education, and HIV/AIDS education for men. After completing his service, Adam worked as the Municipal Development Technical Trainer for CHP International where he prepared a group of 16 Peace Corps volunteers for their two year service. Adam is a fluent Spanish speaker and lived in Nicaragua for over two years, where he founded Project WOO’s field operations and completed the pilot transportation project.
Trent Gordon
Director of Business Development
Trent Gordon joined Project Wave of Optimism in 2009 as the Director of Business Development. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Global and International Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara in 2004. Trent fell in love with Latin culture and its people on a last minute fly fishing trip to Chile, and has since spent over a year off and on exploring much of Central and South America as a traveler, English teacher, and surfer. After 3 years of working in financial services in New York City, Trent is a partner at Optimum Strategy Group, a strategic equity and investment banking firm, in his home town of Lake Tahoe, NV. An avid skier, rock climber, and winemaker, Trent is focused on building financial support for Project WOO’s work in Latin America.
Bo Fox
Program Manager and Surf ‘N Serve Program Leader
Bo Fox joined Project Wave of Optimism in 2009 as the Surf „N Serve trip leader, Program Manager, and for in-country programmatic development. He earned his Bachelor‟s in Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2004. Bo‟s passion for experiential education stemmed from his experiences abroad. At age 16, Bo first traveled to Central America on a cultural immersion and service trip that coincidently involved exotic surf adventure as well. With his focus set on warm water waves, little did young Bo realize that his “life path” was soon to be changed forever.
Volunteering side by side with the local community members, sharing meals and stories with families from a completely foreign culture, and witnessing new and inspiring perspectives on life, all were factors that led to Bo‟s dedication to experiential education. More than 10 years have past and Bo has studied, worked, and traveled for extended periods of time in Latin America and Europe. The major focus of these travels revolved around leading cultural immersion programs for High School and College students to Latin America. Bo has led over 10 successful service programs throughout Central and South America. Bo is first aid and CPR certified and Trained and competent in the event of
emergency, illness or accident.
Fueled by his passion to facilitate fun and meaningful cultural immersion programs that not only help to promote sustainable community development but also to inspire a more social responsible surfer, Bo recently joined forces with Project Wave of Optimism to headline their Surf ‘n’ Serve program.
Norma Prendiz
Director of Operations, Nicaragua
Norma Prendiz is the Director of Operations for Project Wave of Optimism in Nicaragua. She began her university studies in information systems and business administration in 1998 at the Universidad Politécnica in Rivas and the Universidad de Ciencias Comerciales in Managua, respectively. Norma possesses a wide range of skills, including business accounting, personnel management, Microsoft Office applications, and conversational English. She has three years experience managing a family transportation business that included a licensed bus and taxi; three years experience as chief administrator of an internet café; and two years working in rural microfinance for regional banks. Norma is a dedicated single mother to her son Francisco and has been with Project WOO since January 2008.
Marlon Martinez
Transportation Coordinator, Nicaragua
Marlon Martinez is the Transportation Coordinator and Bus Driver for Transporte Ola de Optimismo (Wave of Optimism Transportation), which is Project WOO’s social business venture in Nicaragua. Marlon has a university degree in international relations from the Universidad Politécnica in Rivas and has basic conversational English skills. He is a dedicated single father to his young daughter Stacy.
