Mystic River Watershed Association adds two new experts to its Board

  The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is pleased to announce the addition of Stephanie Carvalho and Victor Castro to the Board of Directors on October 12, 2022.

  Stephanie Carvalho (she/ella) grew up in and is a resident of Revere, Mass. Her background is in the nonprofit and education sectors, and she currently works in labor/workforce development at Women Encouraging Empowerment (WEE), a local social services nonprofit, where she helps build regional partnerships and technological infrastructure to help local people secure their basic needs and good jobs. In addition to her day job, she is a volunteer Program Coordinator for Latino Outdoors Boston, a member of the Revere Public Library Board of Trustees and the founder of the Revere Free Store. Stephanie is also an AmeriCorps alumna and has a deep passion and commitment to public service, workers’ rights and equitable community development. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, photography, being outdoors, and biking to Revere Beach to see the sunrise.

  “I was introduced to the Mystic River and the work that MyRWA does through some amazing collaborative projects with Latino Outdoors over the past few months! I’ve been introduced to and inspired by MyRWA’s community-centered methods that drive their climate resilience research and recreation opportunities in neighborhoods along the Mystic and am excited to learn more,” said Stephanie. “As a board member, I’m excited to highlight and advocate for the creation of new bicycle path infrastructure and public transit accessible greenspaces, as well as work on language access initiatives, support workers, and help expand access to the waterfront, especially within the Lower Mystic Watershed!”

  Victor Castro (he/him) is a resident of Charlestown and a Research Data Scientist at Mass General Brigham, where he works on developing methods for analyzing large real-world datasets and understanding and addressing the impact of health disparities on underserved populations. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Population Health from Northeastern University. Victor serves on the Charlestown Little Mystic Steering Committee – working to engage the Charlestown community in revitalizing and activating the Little Mystic Channel. Victor can often be found paddling and fishing on the Mystic River with one of his three kids.

  “I live and work within a mile of the Mystic River in Charlestown, yet I only recently discovered the incredible beauty of the river and its wildlife,” said Victor. “As a board member I’m excited to be a part of helping to preserve the river and expand opportunities for people to access, connect, and engage with the beautiful Mystic.”

  At MyRWA’s annual meeting, Woods Hole Group Senior Climate Resiliency Specialist Nasser Brahim, Wynn Resorts Chief Sustainability Officer Erik Hansen and Paddle Boston Co-Owner Mark Jacobson were reelected to second terms on the Board of Directors. (Paddle Boston has two locations on the Mystic.) The board, which is now 13 members strong, is charged with organizational oversight, leadership in strategic planning and connecting to the wider community. MyRWA is led by professional staff and organizes thousands of volunteers working together on a project-by-project basis.

  More about the Mystic River Watershed Association: MyRWA works to improve the lives of the more than 600,000 residents of Mystic River watershed communities through its efforts to protect and restore water quality, natural habitat and open space throughout the 76 square mile watershed. For more information see www.MysticRiver.org.