The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its Board of Directors. Meera Deean, Erik Hansen and Joshua Weinberg were appointed to the Board of Directors in January 2019.
"Meera, Erik and Joshua bring a wide-range of relevant experience to the board, as well as a passion for improving the local environment and their communities,” said Patrick Herron, Executive Director of MyRWA. “We are thrilled they are joining the MyRWA team. They will be instrumental in restoring and transforming our Mystic River watershed.”
Meera Deean is a Senior Architect/Urban Designer at the Boston Planning and Development Agency where she conducts design reviews for building projects and prepares urban design studies for public input. Previously Boston Harbor Now’s Director of Planning, she helped stakeholders think holistically about development harbor-wide. Meera holds a B.A. in Art History from Williams College and a Masters in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
"Throughout my career, I have worked to increase access to waterfront parks and paths. I am excited to bring this experience to the Mystic River Watershed Association, and to help them with their efforts to connect the 25 miles of paths from the Mystic Lakes to Boston Harbor," said Meera Deean.
Erik Hansen serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer at Wynn Resorts. In that role he leads the development of the global sustainability strategy and energy procurement goals for the company. His experience extends across all facets of environmental protection and government regulation and he was instrumental in instituting several large-scale sustainability and renewable energy projects at Wynn Resorts. Encore Boston Harbor, which is part of Wynn Resorts brand, is opening in June of this year. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded an Environmental Merit Award to Encore Boston Harbor in recognition of their construction of a living shoreline at this site, as well as the $68 million remediation of the site.
“The team at the Mystic River Watershed Association is one of the most progressive and focused group of professionals I’ve had the honor to work with,” said Erik Hansen. “The feats they have accomplished in order to protect the Mystic is an inspiration, and I look forward to helping deliver exciting new programs and environmental solutions that will help support the Association’s goals for generations to come.”
Joshua Weinberg is Managing Director and Managing Counsel at State Street Global Advisors, and a resident of Arlington. A member of the firm’s Senior Leadership Team, he is the primary attorney responsible for the legal affairs of its $500+ billion U.S. registered fund business. Joshua holds a J.D. from Boston University School of Law and a B.S. (cum laude) from Tufts University. Joshua enjoys kayaking with his wife and two sons on Spy Pond in Arlington, as well as exploring other natural areas along the Mystic.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Board of Directors of MyRWA, and I am looking forward to helping a dedicated and enthusiastic staff pursue its very important mission,” said Joshua Weinberg.
The Mystic River Watershed Association was founded in 1972 to protect and restore natural resources in the 22-community watershed north of Boston. MyRWA is led by professional staff and also organizes thousands of volunteers working together on a project-by-project basis. Meera, Erik and Joshua join the ten sitting board members. The board is charged with organizational oversight, leadership in strategic planning and connecting to the wider community.
