Todd Peterson, JD, Chair, IWH Co-Founder, President and Board Member, Connecticut

Todd runs an emerging markets legal practice, focusing on developers. This work often includes US developers and/or investors, often doing work with governments, private equity funds and family offices, and putting together crossborder joint ventures. These projects range from real estate to intellectual property to infrastructure and financing transactions. Todd has been listed in The Legal Media Group Guide to the World’s Leading Private Equity Lawyers, as well as The Legal Media Group Guide to the World’s Leading Mergers and Acquisition Lawyers. He served for years on the steering committee of Thunderbird’s Global Private Equity Investing Conference and has been involved with Africare for a number of years. Todd received his J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, New York, a Master’s in Philosophy from the University of Oxford, a Certificate in Economics from Kyushu University, a B.A. from Brigham Young University and is admitted to the State Bar in NY. 

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Danna Burns-Shaw, Co-Founder, IWH, CEO, Burns 1876, Board Member, IWH, Utah

Danna is Co-Founder of International Water Holdings, a foundation that helps solve world water problems. She is also the 5th Generation Owner of her family’s business, Burns 1876. As CEO and Creative Director, she expanded her family business into a heritage luxury brand, which includes fine retail stores, multiple manufacturing sectors, including, western saddles, boots, hats, silver, and small leather goods. In addition to establishing Burns 1876 Media Company and Burns Events, She spearheaded a multi-million dollar equestrian center (1992 ) where she volunteered for 15 years. Danna has received many awards for her community contributions including; the State of Utah Governor’s Award, Meritorious Service Award, Elks Person of the Year Award, Woman Business of the Year Award, Business of the Year Award, Top Hand Award, and Outstanding President of the Chamber Award.

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Ron Peterson, Mountainland Supply Company, Utah, Board Member, IWH, Board Member

Ron is the Drilling Products Manager at Mountainland Pump and Drilling Supply Company in Utah. Previously, he worked for Baroid for over 45 years, starting out in the oil industry and was involved in the Industrial Drilling Fluids market for his entire career. Has worked in multiple field and supervisory positions in the Baroid Oilfield and in the Baroid Industrial Drilling market, which includes water well, minerals exploration and other industrial drilling markets. Ron has given presentations addressing drilling fluid related topics in North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. He was a member of the original team that expanded Baroid QUIK GEL Distributor organization in to the Baroid Industrial Drilling Product Line and a trainer for Baroid IDP’s Training Program. Mr. Peterson co-edited NGWA’s Illustrated Glossary of Groundwater Industry Terms and Glossary of Driller’s Terms, later combined and expanded to the NGWA Lexicon of Groundwater & Water Well Systems Terms. He was also co-author of Johnson Screen’s “Groundwater and Wells” third edition, Chapter 8, Drilling Fluids. Ron was a columnist for NGWA’s “Water Well Journal” and World Wide Drilling Resources magazine. Currently, he is a member of NGWA and serves on several boards including Utah Groundwater Association and Mountain States Ground Water Association. Ron was awarded the Halliburton MVP award, NGWA’s Ross L. Oliver for “Greatest Contribution to the Water Well Industry” and named the 2015 McEllhiney Distinguished Lecturer by the NGWA. He received a B.S. in Business Administration and Management from Southern Utah University.

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Heather Potters, IWH Co-Founder and Board Member, Colorado

Heather Potters has spent the past 30 years involved in investment management of closed-end funds and individual investments with consortiums of investors. Her investment career started in 1991 when she moved to Poland as part of the Enterprise Fund concept championed by President Bush, Sr. Over time, she spent 19 years investing three funds, covering Central and Eastern Europe, and managing individual investments and financial investor consortiums, in early stage and growth companies, ranging from $1 million to an excess of $100 million, in a variety of industries. She returned to the US in 2010 to focus on a needle-free medical technology company she co-founded, called PharmaJet. Among her other active areas of investment and for-profit and non-profit board participation, they include healthcare, software, cyber, and water innovation. Heather has a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Management from Claremont McKenna College and an MBA from Wharton, the University of Pennsylvania.