The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is pleased to announce the addition of Nasser Brahim, Mark Jacobson and Rick Olick to its Board of Directors.
"Only with an active and engaged Board of Directors can the Mystic River Watershed Association meet its mandate of restoring and rejuvenating our local rivers, ponds and parklands,” said Patrick Herron, Executive Director of MyRWA. “Nasser, Mark and Rick all bring much needed expertise to this already robust group who are stewarding our organization.”
Nasser Brahim is a Senior Planner and Climate Change Practice Lead at Kleinfelder, a multidisciplinary engineering and design firm in Boston. He helps communities and critical infrastructure owners prepare for climate change by implementing vulnerability assessments, resiliency plans, and capital and operational improvements. He holds a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and focused as an undergraduate on ecology and integrated water resources management.
“MyRWA’s efforts to convene, learn and collaborate with watershed stakeholders on climate resiliency could not be more important,” said Nasser. “It’s the kind of work that I’m inspired by, grateful for, and excited to support.”
Credit: David Mussina
Mark Jacobson is a resident of Lexington and General Manager of Paddle Boston, which operates boat rental locations on the Mystic out of Blessing of the Bay in Somerville and the Condon Band Shell in Medford. He has an MS in Environmental Science from UMASS Boston and has been a longstanding advocate for restoration of the Mystic River and promoting opportunities for recreation on the river. He previously served on the board of MyRWA from 2006-2018. He has helped organize the Mystic River Herring Run and Paddle for the past fourteen years. During the past year, he has served on the Nominating and Governance Committees.
“Coming back on the Board has helped me to reflect on the tremendous changes in the organization and the watershed that I have seen over the past 18 years,” said Jacobson. “Thanks to MyRWA's work so many more people now have better access to the river and are aware of the important role the river plays in the lives of Boston area residents. I look forward to helping to see that this continues in the future.”
Rick Olick, a resident of Cambridge, can regularly be found on the banks of the Mystic River, Horn Pond or the Mystic Lakes photographing the spectacular wildlife including bald eagles, great horned owls, barred owls, various hawks and waterfowl. Currently, Rick work for the Mass Audubon as a nature educator. He also brings a wealth of experience in former roles as Federal attorney, Federal administrative judge, as a trainer in mediation and conciliation techniques and Directing Attorney at a non-profit organization serving refugees and immigrants. Rick holds a B.A. from Tufts University, a J.D. from Emory University School of Law, and an M.A. in Teaching English as a Second Language from UMASS Boston.
“I enjoy kayaking and hiking, and I have long been interested in environmental advocacy, I’m looking forward to getting involved locally and to contributing to the great work that MyWRA has been doing,” said Rick.
The Mystic River Watershed Association was founded in 1972 to protect and restore natural resources in the 21-community watershed north of Boston. MyRWA is led by professional staff of 10 and also organizes thousands of volunteers working together on a project-by-project basis. Brahim, Jacobson and Olick join the 12 sitting board members. The board is charged with organizational oversight, leadership in strategic planning and connecting to the wider community.
