The Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA) is pleased to announce the addition of Beatriz Gómez Mouakad, Karen Colón Hayes, and Pepper Denman to the Board of Directors on October 22, 2024.
Beatriz Gómez Mouakad (she/her) has more than 25 years of experience in construction, urban development, strategic planning and project management. Trained at Brown University (BA in Urban Studies) and Harvard (Master of Architecture), she has led affordable housing developments at Just A Start Corporation and served as a senior project manager and land use planner at Massport, helping shape agency priorities. She has served as a Ward 5 Councilperson for Somerville and is an active community volunteer including being on the boards of Groundwork Somerville, the Somerville Community Corporation and Somerville Youth Soccer League, as well as participating in Padres Latino.
"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 Beatriz 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.
Karen Colón Hayes (she/her) is a City Councilor-At-Large; she is 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 the 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 MaldenCORE, Community Organizing for Racial Equity 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 Karen Colón Hayes.
Pepper Denman (he/him) 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. In his spare time, he practices medicine at MGH and is part of the med-tech ecosystem, having been involved in multiple established and start-up companies. He is on the board of the Museum of Science and several commercial boards.
View our entire Board of Directors here.
