Local resident among three new experts added to MyRWA Board of Directors

Special to The Advocate

The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is pleased to announce the addition of Karen Colón Hayes, William “Pepper” Denman and Beatriz Gómez Mouakad to its Board of Directors on October 22, 2024. These new members are active volunteers at MyRWA and in their communities, as well as having expertise in social science, health, board leadership, urban development, municipal leadership and strategic planning.

Karen Colón Hayes is a Malden Councillor-at-Large and the first Puerto Rican to hold this position. Her degree is in Social Science and Psychology and she has over 25 years in leadership and director level positions, including psychiatry research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Director of Human Services and Community Outreach for the City of Malden. She sits on various boards, including at Metro North Housing Corp., which develops and manages affordable housing, the Community Health Advisory Council for Cambridge Health Alliance and the North Shore Hispanic Association. She is a member of Zonta International, a global organization building a better world for women, a founding member of Malden Community Organizing for Racial Equity (MaldenCORE) and Friends of Oak Grove, Inc. where she helps build community connections through activities and events. Her passions include her family and spending time in green and blue spaces, especially the Malden River! She is on the Malden River Works Steering Committee, where she advocates for access to the river in Malden.

“Making nature, as well as green and blue spaces, accessible to everyone is not only a matter of equity but also essential for the health of individuals and communities. I am honored to have a role in helping to advance the important work of the Mystic River Watershed Association,” said Colón Hayes.

Winchester resident Dr. William “Pepper” Denman has lived in the Mystic River watershed for almost 35 years and has become an avid herring counter, tree planter and litter remover! He and his wife Stephanie are passionate about working to protect and remediate our natural treasures. He is on the board of the Museum of Science and several commercial boards.

Somerville Ward 5 Councillor Beatriz Gómez Mouakad has more than 25 years’ experience in construction, urban development, strategic planning and project management. She is an active community volunteer, including being on the boards of Groundwork Somerville, the Somerville Community Corporation and Somerville Youth Soccer League. She is a founding member of Padres Latinos, the Somerville volunteer organization formed during the COVID-19 Pandemic to advocate and increase access to resources for the Latino immigrant community in Somerville.

“I see the space we inhabit is an interconnected system. Protecting the watershed and providing access to nature for all people is part of the equation that will allow resiliency in our changing climate and the health of our community. Nature is the common bond that connects humans across cultures and to allow for greater equity we need to allow access to all green spaces and watersheds,” said Gómez Mouakad. “It is truly an honor to join the MyRWA in their mission to allow easy and safe access to nature for all and in their advocacy for environmental justice because our community is just part of the greater whole that is our ecosystem.

At MyRWA’s annual meeting, Erga Pierrette and Julie Ing Stern were reelected to second terms on the Board of Directors. The board, which is now 17 members strong, is charged with organizational oversight, leadership in strategic planning and connecting to the wider community. MyRWA is led by professional staff and also organizes thousands of volunteers working together.

For more information about MyRWA, see www.MysticRiver.org.