Leadership

Dr. John Kasik is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Aqualtra Technologies LLC, a global supplier of potable water treatment. The company is recognized as a premier developer and manufacturer of self-sustained, mobile drinking water systems designed for disaster relief and humanitarian missions, as well as solar-powered potable water treatment installations. As CEO, Dr. Kasik oversees all aspects of Aqualtra’s operations and strategic direction.

Dr. Kasik began his career in academia, serving as an Assistant Professor at Indiana University and for five years taught at Texas Tech University. He subsequently transitioned into an executive career spanning more than 35 years, leading high-technology companies with a focus on commercializing innovative solutions for both public and private sectors. He is widely regarded as a strategic thinker and effective implementer, with a proven track record of building robust business infrastructures and high-performing leadership teams that deliver turnkey solutions across domestic and international markets.

Over the course of his career, Dr. Kasik has provided products and solutions to a diverse range of industries, including defense, aerospace, automotive, electronics, public safety, and transportation. He brings deep expertise in strategic planning, design, engineering, manufacturing, and business development, having led initiatives across a wide spectrum of organizations.

With experience managing operations in 44 countries, Dr. Kasik is highly skilled in global business development. He has led product development efforts serving federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as international organizations such as FEMA, the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN), the Red Cross, and numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Earlier in his career, Dr. Kasik served as Chief Strategy Officer, General Manager, and a member of the Corporate Executive Management Committee at Grote Industries LLC. He has also held President and CEO roles at Cardinal Water Treatment Technologies, Inc.; TELEGRA, Inc.; EFKON USA, Inc.; ATLASwerks, LLP; RF-CODE, Inc.; and Control Automation, Inc. In addition, he served as Chief Operating Officer at Stewart Systems, Inc., and as General Manager at Recognition Equipment, Inc.

Dr. Kasik holds multiple patents in the fields of automation and imaging.

Education

Ph.D., International Studies, summa cum laude, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
M.A., Slavic Studies, summa cum laude, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
B. Sc., Sciences, cum laude, KSC of the University of New Hampshire
BSIE, Industrial Engineering, School of Industrial Engineering

Foreign Languages:

Fluent in German, Czech, Russian, and Slovak

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Ms. Rocío Cruz-Morales is Chief Financial Officer for Aqualtra Technologies, LLC. As CFO, she is responsible for the development of financial and operational strategy, metrics to that strategy, risk management, and the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve company assets, governance, and financial compliance reporting.

Ms. Cruz has 30 years of CFO leadership in finance and administration. She is strong in business planning and taxes, effectively utilizing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Her accomplished financial background also includes corporate finance, operations, taxes, treasury, strategic planning and acquisitions, as well as International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), U.S. GAAP financial reporting and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.

Ms. Cruz’s experience is primarily in the pharmaceutical and printing industries. She worked for eight years as CFO for Daiichi Sankyo Company Inc. in Mexico, a subsidiary of one of the top Japanese pharmaceutical companies. At the subsidiary of this multinational conglomerate with $8 billion in annual revenues, she led Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Information Technology, Supply Chain, Taxes and Purchasing.

Prior to that position, for 13 years she was CFO for RR Donnelley de México, an affiliate of RR Donnelley Inc., a publicly held company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. RR Donnelly is a $12 billion Fortune 500 Company and a leader in the U.S. printing market.

During her career, Ms. Cruz has held CFO positions with a number of multinational companies with headquarters in the U.S., Europe, Canada, India and Japan. Ms. Cruz’s ability to excel in multicultural environments is a hallmark of her accomplishments and confirms her high caliber, both as a professional and as an individual.

Education

M.S. in Corporate Finance, Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), Mexico City, Mexico
B.S. in Economics, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitan (UAM), Mexico City, Mexico
B.S. in Public Accounting, Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Mexico City, Mexico

Foreign Languages:

Fluent in Spanish and French

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Dr. Costa Mazidji is Chief Technology Officer of Aqualtra Technologies, LLC. In this role he is responsible for efficiently attaining optimized solutions through further development of Aqualtra Technologies’ mobile and other water treatment systems. While focusing on the company’s long-term technological goals through strategic planning and Research and Development implementation efforts, he also manages the Quality Assurance and Quality Control programs.

Dr. Mazidji has 30 years of experience in the field of potable water and wastewater treatment and reuse. He has worked for several companies that develop and produce water treatment systems in locations around the world. Dr. Mazidji’s background includes solar-powered flocculation-coagulation, ultra-filtration and reverse osmosis water treatment technologies. He has conducted extensive environmental assessments and completed site civil engineering projects from inception to execution.

Dr. Mazidji has worked with federal, state, and local governments as well as private agencies, while collaborating with electrical, structural and mechanical engineers, architects and regulators. He is well-versed in Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulatory policies.

For the past 10 years Dr. Mazidji has been principal owner of Mazidji Group Engineering, providing professional turn-key services primarily to government organizations, including management of a large-scale water treatment system for the Southeastern Technology Center of the City of Aiken, SC; multi-year environmental/engineering contracts with the City of Dallas; and projects for medical facilities and the industrial sector. In prior years he held various key senior leadership positions for potable water and wastewater treatment companies, as well as civil and infrastructure engineering firms, including Carter and Burgess, CPH Engineers, FilterCore of Texas, and Rust Environment & Infrastructure. He also served as President and CEO of MG Consultancy.

Dr. Mazidji is an author of several scientific publications in the area of water treatment.

Education

Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering (Water/Wastewater treatment), (UF) University of Florida
M.E. in Environmental Engineering (Water/Wastewater treatment), (UF) University of Florida
M.S. in Water Resources Engineering, (AUB) American University of Beirut
B.S. in Sciences, (AUB) American University of Beirut
Bioengineering, (UCBL) University of Claude Bernard, Lyon, France

Professional Registration:

Professional Engineering Licenses – Civil Engineering (TX License No. 89922; SC License No. 15430)

Foreign Languages:

Fluent in French, Greek, Spanish, Italian, German, Armenian and Lebanese

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Mr. Justo Vargas is Executive Vice President of Manufacturing Operations for Aqualtra Technologies, LLC. In this role he is responsible for the manufacturing processes from procurement, supply chain management, production, assembly, and integration, to on-time delivery.

Mr. Vargas’ 30-year multinational career, with extensive experience as an operations management executive and implementation consultant, spans more than 30 countries.

He is an experienced Six Sigma practitioner with extensive supply chain, Lean Principles manufacturing implementation and finance expertise, including ISO certifications. He has led multi-country operation assignments with global corporations ranging from $120 million to $2.5 billion in revenues with full P&L responsibility. His teams have designed entire global supply chains from procurement of commodity parts to components sourcing from around the world.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Vargas led the implementation segment of the consulting business at Assured Results International, LLC. He also served as President and Senior Vice President of divisions within Crown Capital Group; was implementation consultant at Thomas Group, Inc. for 6 years; and held managerial positions of increasing responsibility in Manufacturing, Planning, Purchasing, Logistics, System Analysis and Finance at Texas Instruments, Inc., for 18 years, culminating in the position of Operations Manager for the Far East Asia-Pacific region for a major division of TI’s Consumer Products Group.

Education

J.D., Southern Methodist University (SMU), Dallas, Texas
MBA, Escuela de Administración de Negocios para Graduados (ESAN), Lima, Peru
B.S. in Civil Engineering, Universidad Nacional de Ingenieíra, (UNI), Lima, Peru

Professional Registration:

Professional Engineering License – Civil Engineering (TX License No: 89922)
Professional Certified Public Accounting License (TX State Board of Public Accounting License – Inactive)
Professional Attorney at Law License – (TX Bar Card No: 20496560)

Certifications (U.S.):

Certified in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM)
Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM)
Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)

Foreign Languages:

Fluent in Spanish

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Mr. Frank Benes serves as Vice President of Potable Water Treatment Systems at Aqualtra Technologies. With over 30 years of specialized experience in water management and civil engineering, he oversees the operational leadership of project management, planning, and design, where he applies a hands-on approach from project inception to completion. Mr. Benes is instrumental in ensuring that Aqualtra’s manufactured systems deliver safe, reliable drinking water while maintaining strict regulatory compliance safeguarding public health and environmental stewardship.

Prior to joining Aqualtra, Mr. Benes held senior leadership roles across the public and private sectors. His career includes 15 years with City of Dallas Water Utilities managing capital improvement projects and 11 years as Operations Manager for VHS Construction Company directing large-scale infrastructure developments. Additionally, he held a position for four years with American Water Enterprises, overseeing critical water infrastructure for the military at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. His expertise spans the full project lifecycle, from initial design and capital budgeting to emergency response planning and risk management.

Mr. Benes brought over 30 years of comprehensive experience in water management to Aqualtra Technologies company

City of Dallas Water Utilities (15 Years): Held numerous management positions, including engineering management of water operations and capital improvement projects related to pumping, storage, reservoirs, purification facilities, transmission pipelines, and infrastructure. Managed construction contracts, planning, scheduling, capital budgets, cost estimates, start-up operations, and maintenance. He was responsible for compliance and water quality, ensuring all Federal and State and Municipal regulations were met, and managed emergency response and risk management plans.
VHS Construction Company (11 Years): As Operations Manager, he directed construction of water distribution/wastewater collection systems, purification/treatment plants, pump stations, storage tanks, and reservoirs.
American Water Enterprises, Military Services (4 Years): Managed capital improvements and operational maintenance/repair projects for potable water and wastewater infrastructure at Fort Sill, Lawton, Oklahoma.

Education

M.S. in Civil Engineering, Water Resources and Environmental Engineering (Water/Wastewater treatment), University of Technology, (VUT) Brno, Czech Republic.
B.S. in Civil Engineering, University of Technology, (VUT) Brno, Czech Republic.

Professional Registration:

Professional Engineering License - Civil Engineering (TX License No. 80111)
Public Water Systems Operator License (TX License No. TCEQ WD0006688)

Foreign Languages:

Czech

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Dr. Derek Morris brings world-class expertise to Aqualtra Technologies, where his mastery of geotechnical engineering ensures the stability, safety, and longevity of critical water treatment infrastructure. By analyzing complex soil and rock conditions, Dr. Morris designs specialized foundations and water storage systems that mitigate environmental risks and prevent costly structural failures.

Professional Journey

Dr. Morris began his distinguished career at Ove Arup & Partners in London before advancing to Steffen Robertson and Kirsten in Vancouver, focusing on geotechnical and environmental solutions. His career is marked by a deep commitment to both practice and academia; he served as an Assistant Professor at McMaster University in Ontario Canada and spent 14 years as a Professor of Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University.

Following his academic tenure, Dr. Morris founded a specialized consulting firm in Addison, Texas, where he applied advanced geophysical techniques to solve complex challenges in geological and civil engineering.

Expertise & Specializations

At Aqualtra, Dr. Morris leads interdisciplinary teams to address construction methodology, risk management, and design integrity. His technical specialties include:

Geo-Hydrological Studies: Advanced analytical modeling of groundwater, wells, and pollutant migration.
Infrastructure Design: Analysis of buried pipelines, earthwork structures, and slope stability.
Specialized Testing: Laboratory and field testing for permeability, water quality, thermal properties, and soil corrosivity.
Remediation & Failure Analysis: Expertise in contaminated soil remediation, earthquake engineering, and geotechnical failure investigations.

Education

B.S. in Civil Engineering, University of Cambridge, (CANTAB), Cambridge, England
M.S. in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering, University of Cambridge, (CANTAB), Cambridge, England
Ph.D. in Civil and Geotechnical Engineering, University of Cambridge, (CANTAB), Cambridge, England

Professional Registration U.S.

Professional Engineering Licenses (P.E.) – Civil Engineering in California, Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas.

Professional Registration Foreign

Professional Engineering License (P.Eng.) – Civil Engineering in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario Canada.
Professional Chartered Engineering (C.Eng.) – Civil Engineering in the UK.

Professional Memberships

He is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers for Testing Materials (ASCE), International Society of Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering, Canadian Geotechnical Society, and the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK).

Publication, Recognition & Awards

A prolific researcher, Dr. Morris, has authored over 60 publications. His contributions to the field have been recognized with prestigious honors, including:

Fulbright Fellowship, Washington D.C., to conduct research at the Technical University of Dresden, Germany
Brown & Root Research Offshore Engineering Award, Houston, Texas
Exxon Award, Texas A&M University, Houston
British Geotechnical Society research award, ("Cooling Prize")
John Wimbolt prize, Cambridge University, UK
Open scholarship in science, St. John's College, Cambridge University, UK
Crerar scholar, Fettes College, Edinburgh, Scottland, UK

Foreign Language

Dr. Morris is fluent in German. Outside of his professional life, he is an avid sailor and a skilled tennis player.

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Leadership

FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

AQUALTRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

JOHN P. KASIK, Ph.D.

CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

AQUALTRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

ROCÍO CRUZ-MORALES

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

AQUALTRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

Costa N. Mazidji, Ph.D., PE

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT – MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS

AQUALTRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

JUSTO H. VARGAS, PE, CPA, JD

VICE PRESIDENT - POTABLE WATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS

AQUALTRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

FRANK C. BENES, PE

VICE PRESIDENT - CIVIL AND GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING

AQUALTRA TECHNOLOGIES, LLC

DEREK V. MORRIS, Ph.D., PE