the MYSTIC: In color
Join MyRWA in celebrating the Mystic, the volunteers who make it mighty, and the creativity that makes it colorful at our in-person annual meeting and celebration.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2025 @ Mass General Brigham (West Building) in assembly row, somerville ma
Everyone is welcome to join us for the celebration, the meeting, or both!
6:30PM | Mystic Celebration
Enjoy free food, music, a photo gallery of the winners of our “Capture the Mystic” Photo Contest, and a chance to talk with our board, staff and other supporters.
7:15PM | Brief Meeting Begins
Welcome & Election of New Members
Financials
Community Awards including Water Quality Monitoring Awards, Volunteer of the Year and Ripple Impact Award
2025 Photo Contest Winners Recognition
Presentation of Work by Andres Duarte, Artist in Residence
Brief Remarks by Patrick Herron, Executive Director
Venue: Mass General Brigham at Assembly Row (399 Revolution Dr. Somerville MA 02145). The meeting will take place in the Markell Room, adjacent to the lobby in the West Building.
Transit: The first 3 hours of parking are free at the Mass General Brigham Garage (255 Grand Union Blvd, Somerville, MA). The location is a two minute walk from the Orange Line on the MBTA.
Board Members
Nomination of Board Members to Serve a 3-yr Term:
Prabitha Natarajan (first term)
Prabitha Natarajan (she/her) is a researcher and scientist with a focus in immunology and cancer biology. She has worked in drug discovery for 8 years and is currently advancing phase I clinical trials at a small biotech company. Her other strong passions include animal welfare, environment conservation and environmental justice. She is a committee member of the Medford Energy and Environment Committee (MEEC) where she is striving to create a low waste community. Her initiatives include organizing Medford Free Flea Market, a partnership with Tufts University focusing on reducing landfill and bringing unwanted household and office items to those in need, mainly Tufts students. Prabitha is also leading an effort with MEEC for a dedicated Zero Waste Medford to increase the environmental impact. Waste reduction is often overlooked by climate activists, it is one of the key pillars to climate resilience and environmental justice. The burden of unsustainable amounts of waste generated across all communities significantly affects certain populations who rarely have a say in this issue. Prabitha is thrilled to join MyRWA as one of her goals of working toward environmental justice is in close alignment with MyRWA's missions.
Rachel Sorlien (first term)
Rachel Sorlien (she/her) is a resident and a dedicated public school educator in the City of Malden. In her fifteen years as a classroom teacher, Rachel has learned the value of reflective practice and authentic relationship-building in fostering equity in the classroom, in school leadership, and in community organizing. She is proud to be a founding member and, currently, Treasurer of the nonprofit Malden Juneteenth, Inc. Before teaching, Rachel's background was in nonprofit development, including as a development officer for a New Hampshire nonprofit and two terms with AmeriCorps VISTA. Rachel majored in Political Science and Spanish at Bates College, which led to a semester abroad in Chile and a thesis on the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of a hydroelectric dam project on a local indigenous population of the southern Andes. Rachel grew up in central New Hampshire and has always had a strong connection to the natural environment, which led her to one of her favorite jobs ever- Naturalist for the Appalachian Mountain Club hut system. She and her family now enjoy walking in the Middlesex Fells, observing wildlife at Fellsmere Pond, and even cross-country skiing in the local parks, when possible! Rachel is excited to call on these personal and professional experiences and her love for her community to support the MRWA as it strives to increase the engagement of diverse residents in its mission, events and programming.
Victor Castro (second term)
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.
Current Board Members
Karen Colon Hayes (first term expires in 2027) Pepper Denman (first term expires in 2027) Ryan Dings (first term expires in 2026) Monica Driggers (first term expires in 2026) Beatriz Gomez (first term expires in 2027) Charles Holley (second term expires in 2026) Julie Ing Stern (second term expires in 2027) Marcia Manong (second term expires in 2026) Erga Pierrette (second term expires in 2027) Helen Quach (first term expires in 2026) John Reinhardt (second term expires in 2026) Kelly Ryan (first term expires in 2026) Britney Satterlee (second term expires in 2026)
2024-2025 Nominating Committee
Nasser Brahim Patrick Herron
Mark Jacobson Erga Pierrette Kelly Ryan Britney Satterlee
