About us
Staff
Karl is charged with leading all aspects of our Mystic Greenways Program, working alongside a dynamic, collaborative team on the community-led design of park and shared use path projects across the watershed. Most recently, Karl served as an urban planning and design consultant for open space and greenways, mobility, and placemaking projects in the Greater Boston area, a few highlights of which include the Mary Ellen Welch Greenway in East Boston, the Alewife Linear Park in Cambridge, and the Neighborways program in Somerville. Karl holds a BA in Politics from Bates College and an MS in Urban Planning and Community Development from Umass Boston’s School for the Environment. A resident of East Somerville, in his spare time Karl enjoys cooking, gardening and hiking.
Sushant identifies, builds and maintains collaborative strategic partnerships with federal and state agencies, municipal staff, non-profits and communities around the Mystic River Watershed as part of the Urban Waters Federal Partnership. Some of the areas he focuses on include developing a holistic Trash Free Mystic project, exploring the issues of environmental justice, and engaging the members of the Mystic steering committee. He graduated from Clark University in 2020 with a Masters in Environmental Science and Policy concentration in Climate Change, Impacts and Adaptation. Sushant enjoys exploring small coastal towns and experimenting with new cooking techniques.
Natalia works closely with schools, youth groups and community partners throughout the Mystic River watershed to develop and deliver placed-based, interactive educational programming. Her focus is engaging youth of all ages and backgrounds in local issues related to their watershed through active learning experiences that examine real-world projects. Prior to joining MyRWA, she served as an Education Technician with the National Parks of Boston where she developed field-based STEAM curriculum for high school students on restoration of the Boston Harbor. A science communicator and coastal researcher, Natalia brings scientific expertise and a passion for connecting communities to issues impacting the Mystic River. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology at the University of West Florida, and holds a Masters of Arts in Environmental Journalism from the University of Colorado Boulder. She’s also an avid yogi and dancer who enjoys long hikes, playing music and spending time with her cat Lily in her free time.
As Senior Engagement Manager, Daria explores ways to engage communities with the Mystic River, coordinates volunteer stewardship programs, and helps bring your voice to MyRWA’s work. Contact her if you are interested in volunteering in the watershed. Being involved in habitat restoration from a young age, Daria developed a deep passion for increasing awareness about local environmental issues and helping to foster connections between people and their environment. Prior to joining MyRWA, Daria studied Biology and Education at Stanford University and worked in habitat restoration and outreach at Grassroots Ecology, an environmental nonprofit in the San Francisco Bay Area. Daria also earned a Master’s degree researching marine biology at Tufts University, where in her free time she fell in love with walking and biking along the Mystic River and its surrounding parks and lakes.
Marja is responsible for managing green infrastructure projects aimed at addressing stormwater pollution and increasing flood resilience in the Mystic River watershed. Marja holds a PhD in Geology and Environmental Science from the University of Pittsburgh where she investigated how the legacy of urbanization and underground coal mining impacts stream health. Prior to joining MyRWA in November 2023, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship with the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. In her free time, Marja enjoys reading, trying new exercise classes, baking bread, and painting.
As a Watershed Field Scientist, Jennifer assists with various water quality monitoring and environmental restoration projects such as the management of stormwater pollution. Her love for conservation and the outdoors was fostered in her participation in the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program at the University of California Santa Cruz, where she explored the connections between underserved and underrepresented communities and their local surface water systems. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Geology from Carleton College in Minnesota. This field combined with her history minor, encapsulates her interest in large scale Earth systems such as watersheds and the complex relationships humans have with these structures. In her spare time, Jennifer enjoys watercolor painting, reading, and taking long walks that usually turn into hikes.
In her role, Mariangelí ensures that social resilience and climate equity are institutionalized into regional climate resilience investments. Mariangelí was a Climate Resilience Fellow at MyRWA from the spring to winter of 2022, where she explored the intersection between heat, health, and housing through Participatory Action Research. She became passionate about working with communities in the Greater Boston Area when she served as a community-engaged research coordinator at the Department of Environmental Health at the Boston University School of Public Health. In this position, she researched workers' and families' occupational take-home lead exposures, conducted outreach in community-based organizations, and managed relationships with stakeholders. Mariangelí holds a B.Sc. in Biology with concentrations in Natural Resources and Environmental Sociology/Public Policy from the University of Puerto Rico – Mayagüez. In addition, she earned an MPH in Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation from the Boston University School of Public Health. In her free time, she enjoys going to the gym, thrifting, and cooking.
Mariangelí Echevarría-Ramos (she/her/hers)
Climate and Social Resilience Manager
Patrick leads the overall vision of the organization, manages the finances and the board of directors. He joined MyRWA as the Water Quality Monitoring Director in 2009 and became Deputy Director in 2014. In September 2016, Patrick took on the role of Executive Director. During his tenure with the organization, Patrick worked with staff to initiate many new programs for the association including the water chestnut removal program, river herring monitoring, Mystic Greenways and phosphorus TMDL. During his time at the association, he has written and managed many of the grants that have underpinned this work and established collaborations across the watershed. He serves as co-chair of the EPA Mystic Water Quality Science Subcommittee and was awarded the EPA Merit Award in 2012. Prior to joining MyRWA, Patrick completed a doctorate in plant ecology at the University of Connecticut in 2007 and held postdoctoral positions at Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory and the Rowland Institute at Harvard University. Outside of work, he chases his children in and out of the water at Shannon Beach and Spy Pond among other places.
As Watershed Scientist, Andy leads the water quality monitoring programs — including the successful baseline program — as well as manages multiple green infrastructure efforts to address stormwater pollution. He joined MyRWA in April 2014. Andy comes to MyRWA from the Sustainability and Environmental Management Program at Harvard Extension School, where he received a master’s in ecological management. Andy discovered a passion for ecology and environmental protection mid-career, after many years in non-profit book publishing. He now leads MyRWA's water quality monitoring program and restoration efforts across the watershed. He enjoys biking and kayaking with his wife and two daughters. Andy is a passionate birder (unlike his wife and kids). Send bird-related watershed news his way!
Isaiah works to amplify the efforts of the organization and connect MyRWA to the many diverse communities throughout the watershed, ensuring that our community members are aware of our many projects, programs, and our impact on the region as a whole. Contact him with any media inquiries. Prior to MyRWA, Isaiah worked at the Northeastern University Asian American Center, serving students and assisting with programming with an emphasis on community engagement. Isaiah studied History and Literature at Harvard College with a focus on Ethnic Studies and a minor in African American Studies. A current Somerville resident, Isaiah has spent nearly his whole life in the Greater Boston Area and is thrilled to help connect his community to its incredible natural resources. Isaiah is an avid musician and outdoorsman. In his free time you can find him performing and recording music and exploring the outdoor spaces in and around the city.
As Ecology Engagement Associate, ShaSha plans MyRWA’s keystone events such as the Herring Run and Paddle, facilitates relationships with corporate and community partners, and leads stewardship events. Contact ShaSha if you’re interested in supporting MyRWA with a gift or corporate sponsorship. ShaSha graduated from Tufts in 2024 studying Biology, Psychology, and Environmental Studies, which are fields she hopes to continue weaving together. She is also a research assistant for the Tufts Racial Equity and Diversity Lab and a Board Member of Our Climate Common and Boise River Enhancement Network. In her free time, ShaSha loves drawing portraits, making jewelry and biking, and without a doubt will always stop to pet a cute cat.
Shelly supports the team that is engaging our residents , youth and CBOs; while also leading the fundraising efforts. She started her work in the environmental field at the Cloud Forest School in Monteverde, Costa Rica. Located in the rare cloud forest, this school provides bilingual education with a focus on environmental education to local students. She then developed impactful projects for close to 10 years at the Alliance for the Great Lakes, which include five Lakes in eight states and include 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume A resident of Somerville, she is excited to help her local watershed.
Michelle Liebetreu (she/her/hers)
Director of Communications and Development
Ranida helps the team secure grants that support MyRWA’s many projects to preserve its beautiful natural resources and build climate resilience. Prior to joining MyRWA, she was a science curriculum developer at GBH, where she researched and produced classroom resources on Earth systems science, engaging students with the natural world and promoting science and climate literacy. Ranida studied cell biology at Cornell University and earned her master’s degree in biology researching gibbon behavior and ecology through the Harvard Extension School. A resident of Medford, she feels a deep connection to the watershed and river. In her spare time, Ranida enjoys reading, art projects, dog walks in the Fells, and exploring new foods and places with her family.
In her role, Catherine is responsible for managing a variety of projects such as salt marsh restoration, stormwater and restored wetlands, and green infrastructure with the goal of increasing flood resilience, improving wildlife habitat, and improving community open space. She has a Masters of Science in Ecological Design from the Conway School of Landscape Design, and joined MyRWA in April 2018. Catherine has worked for a variety of organizations dedicated to the stewardship of our public lands, including the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Friends of Fresh Pond Reservation, and Mass Audubon's Drumlin Farm. A resident of West Medford, Catherine enjoys hiking, cooking, and swimming.
As Deputy Director of Programs, Dave leads the team charged with planning and implementing on-the-ground projects, while also building strong relationships with under-represented communities. Dave has three decades of experience helping build vision, capacity, and constituencies for sustainable cities, neighborhoods and initiatives. Most recently, Dave served as the Director of Eco-Innovation for the Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation (CSNDC). He currently serves as an Associate Park Commissioner for the City of Boston and served on the Mayor’s GoBoston 2030 Task Force. Dave received Clean Water Action’s 2014 John O’Connor Award for Grassroots Leadership and Walk Boston’s 2016 Golden Shoe Award.
Karina is building urban tree canopy with residents, municipalities, agencies and community based organizations. Karina has experience in science education, microplastic and microbial research, and project management in recreational infrastructure. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry and Art History from the College of the Holy Cross and earned her M.S. in Marine and Environmental Sciences from Northeastern University. In her free time, she enjoys cooking/baking, crafting, swimming, and being active outside.
Catherine Pedemonti (she/her/hers)
Senior Climate Resilience Manager
Marissa builds relationships and partners with community members and organizations to help surface and implement resident-generated heat and other climate resilience solutions, as climate change makes summer heat waves longer and storms more intense. Prior to MyRWA, she worked as an organizer for MASSPIRG Students where she recruited, trained, and organized hundreds of college students on voter registration, fighting hunger and homelessness, and transitioning UMass Amherst to 100% renewable energy. They graduated from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Spanish, and found their love of community engagement during their AmeriCorps VISTA service year. In her free time, she enjoys reading, drinking coffee, or finding new places to roller skate.
Michelle leads on finance administration, partnering with the staff team in creating a safe, productive and healthy work environment, ensuring organization is in compliance with local and federal rules and policies, and ensuring smooth operation of the organization. She graduated from Boston University with Masters in Public Health. She enjoys spending quality time with her family and she loves traveling.
Board Leadership
Nasser Brahim is a Senior Climate Resiliency Specialist at Woods Hole Group, an engineering, science, and technology firm focused on solving coastal and environmental challenges. 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. Prior to joining Woods Hole Group, Nasser was at Kleinfelder, a multidisciplinary engineering and design firm in Boston. He lives in Squantum with his wife, Megan, daughters Leila and Zara, and dog, Dexy.
Julie Ing Stern has been a huge fan of the natural world since childhood (she still has the rock collection she started in kindergarten). When she is not outside skiing, hiking, running, biking, traveling or just going for a walk, she is working as an acupuncturist. Julie is a Master of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine licensed by the Board of Medicine in Massachusetts and also nationally certified for over 15 years. Since 2007, she has been a part of Global Alternative Healthcare Project (GAHP) and Global Healthworks Foundation (GHF), and has volunteered weeks of time every year in Indonesia, Nepal , Navajo Nation (AZ) and Guatemala. During her time as a volunteer for MyRWA, Julie has counted herring, built tree swallow bird houses, painted the mural at the Mystic Lakes, collected local heat map data, helped with trivia contests, and represented MYRWA at Patagonia and other local events.
Charles Holley is a finance professional with over twenty years of experience between the private, public and nonprofit sectors. Currently he serves as Director of Finance & Administration at the SouthCoast Community Foundation. Prior to this, he was the Director of Finance and Administration at Boston Harbor Now and former CFO of Dudley Street Neighbor Initiative. His nonprofit work has been focused on understanding how finances impact not just the sustainability of the organization but also the people that are supporting the organization; identifying and implementing systems that improve reporting and streamlining processes to gain efficiencies. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales where he earned a degree in accounting.
Mark Jacobson is a resident of Lexington and General Manager of Charles River Recreation, which operates boat rental locations on the Mystic and Charles River. 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.
Nasser Brahim (he/him/his)
Board President
Julie Ing Stern (she/her/hers)
Vice President & Assistant Clerk
Charles Holley (he/him/his)
Treasurer
Mark Jacobson (he/him/his)
Secretary & Clerk
Members of the Board of Directors
Stephanie Carvalho grew up in and is a resident of Revere, MA. Her background is in the nonprofit and education sectors and 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.
Victor Castro 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.
William “Pepper” Denman 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 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.
Ryan Dings serves as the founding chief executive officer of ClimateHaven, a community of climate technology companies and the passionate people that support them. Rooted in New Haven, CT, ClimateHaven provides incubation, targeted programming, and valuable networks to climatetech entrepreneurs working to build and scale the technologies we need to decarbonize the planet. In addition to his role at ClimateHaven, Ryan is a venture partner for Connecticut Innovations’ $100M ClimateTech Fund, which is designed to invest capital and strategic support in early-stage companies whose technologies will address the many challenges presented by climate change. Ryan also serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Social Innovation Forum, a Boston-based nonprofit that creates positive social change by engaging leaders, strengthening organizations, and building networks. Prior to these roles, Ryan served as the Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel of Greentown Labs, North America’s largest climatetech incubator with locations in Somerville, MA and Houston, TX. Prior to joining Greentown Labs, Ryan served as the Chief Operating Officer & General Counsel of Sunwealth, where he helped launch the Solar Impact Fund, which invested in the development and long-term ownership of commercial solar projects throughout the United States. Ryan also served on the executive team of venture-backed prefab home builder Blu Homes and has advised numerous early-stage clean tech and building tech companies over the past 15 years. Before launching into clean technology, Ryan started his career practicing commercial real estate law in Charlotte, North Carolina. Ryan holds graduate degrees in law from Wake Forest University School of Law and in design from Harvard University Graduate School of Design, and a Bachelor of Arts from UNC-Chapel Hill. Ryan currently lives in the Greater Boston area with his wife, Kate Rigby, and their two daughters.
Stephanie Carvalho (she/her/hers)
victor castro (He/him/his)
Pepper denman (he/him/his)
ryan dings (he/him/his)
Monica Ghosh Driggers is a resident of Winchester. She studied environmental law and began her career examining water rights and forestry issues in the Intermountain West. She went on to spend 30 years working closely with policy makers to change state and federal court processes, specializing in evaluating systems that work with marginalized communities. She has conducted long-term studies on topics ranging from domestic violence to parole to the rights of disabled persons. Having never lost her commitment to the environment, she volunteered for many years with MyRWA’s Policy Committee. She is now a Senior Program Director at the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, helping that organization expand all of the work it does to protect rivers. In her free time Monica walks her dogs along local riverways and tries to become a better watercolor painter.
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.
Karen 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.
Marcia Manong is a resident of Malden, and works as Office Manager at Bread of Life, which offers free food to hungry, homeless, isolated people through dinners, food pantries, senior nutrition outreach, and food delivery in Malden and surrounding cities. She has for many years exercised her civic duty through participation in social justice and human rights issues. Marcia’s latest engagement is with the Malden River Works (MRW) Project, an experimental resilience project bringing together a new coalition of community leaders of color, youth, environmental advocates, and government stakeholders.
Monica Ghosh Driggers (She/Her/Hers)
Erik Hansen (he/him/his)
Karen Colón Hayes (She/her/hers)
Marcia Manong (she/her/hers)
Beatriz has more than 25 years’ 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.
Erga Pierrette is a licensed clinical social worker who is passionate about education and social justice. She earned a BSW from Salem State University where she became the First Black Woman Student Trustee and co-founded the Multicultural Student Association. She holds an MSW from Simmons University and is a licensed School Adjustment Counselor. Erga is the Dean of Commimity, Culture and Equity at Malden Catholic High School. She is the President of Malden Juneteenth, Inc., serves on the
Mystic Valley Opportunity Center (MVOC) Advisory Board, the Executive Board of the Mystic Valley Area Branch NAACP, and the steering committee for Malden Reads.
Helen Quach (first term) was born and raised in Boston, and is now a resident of Wakefield. Her professional background is in the field of non-profit and public healthcare, and she is currently working as Executive Assistant to the Dean at the Office of Faculty Affairs at the Harvard School of Public Health. Helen has always been passionate about advocating and volunteering, and in the past has dedicated her time to the Department of Youth Services and Chinese Progressive Association. Now she spends most of her time helping with all things dragon boat related from the Boston Dragon Boat Festival to running her team, Living Root Dragon Boat, now based in the Rivergreen Park in Everett. Helen favorites include distance running, paddling, hiking, and walking miles upon miles with her senior beagle.
John Reinhardt has been vitally involved with the Mystic River Watershed Association for over 30 years, starting as its first part-time Executive Director and serving as Board president in the 1990s, as well as for 12 years starting in 2006. He is also currently serving on the Board of Cambridge HEET, a small but very effective climate change action group currently tackling natural gas leaks. Professionally, he was an environmental policy analyst for the USEPA and MassDEP for over 35 years. He served as a conservation commissioner for the City of Somerville for 19 years.
Beatriz Gómez Mouakad (she/her/hers)
Erga Pierrette (she/her/hers)
Helen Quach (She/Her/Hers)
John Reinhardt (he/him/his)
Kelly Ryan, CPA is a Vice President at JPMorgan. She has over 15 years working in various aspects of the fund services industry. She has recently received a Certificate in ESG Investing from the CFA Institute. Kelly holds a B.A. from College of the Holy Cross, where her deep commitment to serving others was ingrained. She is a resident of Boston and can often be found strolling around the Harbor.
Britney Satterlee is an Auditor in uclaimed property at apexanalytix. Prior she worked at PwC and a boutique firm specializing in the recovery of abandoned and unclaimed property for corporations. Britney holds a B.A. from Smith College and is a resident of Somerville. She can often be found running along the streets and pathways in Somerville and the surrounding cities.
