The Environmental Business Council of New England (EBC) recently awarded the Environmental Merit Award for Leadership by a Non-Profit Organization to the Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMC) in recognition of the incredible partnership of the 20 communities in the Mystic River Watershed. Malden as part of the collaborative has been working with the other communities along the watershed to protect people and places from climate-intensified risks.
The RMC came out of a sense of urgency and commitment among senior municipal staff to work across political boundaries to address challenges that were beyond their control. The communities in the collaborative include Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Burlington, Cambridge
Chelsea, Everett, Lexington, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Reading, Revere, Somerville, Stoneham, Wakefield, Watertown, Winchester, Winthrop and Woburn. Within 18 months of its founding, the RMC raised over $2.5 million in regional climate resilience funding to support regional stormwater flood management, storm-hardening critical regional infrastructure, next-generation coastal flood management, and closing climate equity gaps among residents and workers based on race and income. The team representing the City of Malden are Maria Luise, Special Assistant to Mayor Christenson; Ryan O’Malley, Ward 4 City Councillor; and Yem Lip, City Engineer.
Each year, the EBC recognizes companies, organizations, and individuals for outstanding environmental and energy accomplishments in the promotion of a sustainable, clean environment. The Resilient Mystic Collaborative (RMA) and its primary collaborators were honored to receive the Environmental Merit Award for Service to the Environmental Industry in recognition of outstanding environmental leadership by a non-profit organization. On June 10, 2021, each of the communities attended the virtual awards celebration and Maria Luise, Special Assistant to the Mayor, accepted the award on behalf of the City of Malden.