The Team
MRW Steering Committee
Malden River Works's two-part team structure was designed to promote equity by centering leadership from Malden's communities of color. The MRW Steering Committee is made up of BIPOC resident leaders working alongside environmental and government partners to set project values and goals, engage with Malden’s diverse communities, and monitor project outcomes.
Rebekah McPheeters (City of Malden)
Caroline Santos (Youth Representative)
CURRENT
Marcia Manong (Chair)
Karen Buck (Environmental Advocate)
Karen Colón Hayes (Malden City Councilor-At-Large)
FORMER
Carlos Aragon, Youth Leader, Linda Cline; Khalil Kaba, Laura Le, Daniel Shea, Youth Leader, Billy Zeng
MRW Project Team
in 2019, following on work with local advocates to promote Malden River water quality and access, Kathy Vandiver (MIT CEHS) brought together the original Leventhal City Prize Project Team of Marcia Manong (Malden community leader of color), Marie Adams (public realm designer), Karen Buck (Friends of the Malden River), Amber Christoffersen (Greenways Planner, Mystic River Watershed Association), and Evan Spetrini (City of Malden Planner). The MRW Project Team carries out the project’s work, from community outreach to design and construction.
EX-OFFICIO: Gary Christenson (Mayor, City of Malden)
Rebekah McPheeters (City of Malden),
Kathy Vandiver (Principal Investigator, Leventhal City Prize),
Marissa Zampino (Mystic River Watershed Association)
CURRENT
Marie Law Adams (Landing Studio, Design Lead),
Karl Alexander (Mystic River Watershed Association),
Karen Buck (Friends of Malden River)
Marcia Manong (Steering Committee Chair)
FORMER
Amber Christoffersen (MyRWA), Evan Spetrini (City of Malden)
Design Team
The Malden River Works Design Team works with the City of Malden’s Office of Strategic Planning and Development to develop design, permitting, and construction plans for the current phase of construction.
In the spring of 2025, JJ Phelan & Son was awarded the contract for the first phase of construction, involving all non-building elements of the park and DPW.