For Release: July 21, 2015

The Boston Harbor Associations Vivien Li to Lead Pittsburgh

Organization
Recognized Boston Waterfront Advocate to Join Riverlife
Riverlife, the public-private partnership that works with property
owners, elected officials, and community organizations to build
Pittsburghs riverfront park system and help redevelop its riverfront,
today announced the appointment of Vivien Li as its president and
chief executive officer, effective October 1, 2015.
Ms. Li will leave The Boston Harbor Association, where she recently
celebrated her 24th year anniversary, first as its Executive Director and
more recently as its President. Credited as a driving force behind the
revitalization of Boston Harbor and its waterfront, Ms. Li has been a key
advocate in promoting the cleanup of the harbor, resulting in a
swimmable harbor and restored beaches; more than forty-one miles of
a HarborWalk public access system through six waterfront
neighborhoods; and efforts to increase public awareness and proactive
measures to ensure climate resilient development along the harbor.
Vivien Li has been an integral part of the cleanup of Boston Harbor
and in fostering the revitalization of Bostons waterfront for nearly a
quarter of a century, said Richard C. Walker III, Chairman of The
Boston Harbor Association. Everywhere on the harbor ---Deer Island,
Spectacle Island, Bostons HarborWalk, Boston Harbor beaches,
Bostons waterfront parks, Chelsea Creek and the Working Port, and so
many more places---has been shaped by Viviens vision, leadership,
and passion. We will miss her greatly.
Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said, Vivien has been a valued colleague
and friend. She has consistently offered important insights as co-chair
of the Citys 2014 Climate Action Plan Steering Committee, as an
active member of the Citys Municipal Harbor Plan Advisory
Committee, and as a longtime member and now Chair of the Boston
Conservation Commission. I have seen how her effective advocacy has
transformed the waterfront, from making Boston Harbor swimmable to
the reclamation of once vacant properties into vibrant waterfront sites
with housing, jobs, HarborWalk segments, and open spaces.
374 Congress Street, Suite 307 | Boston, MA 02210 | 617.482.1722 |
TBHA.org

Vivien Li has a remarkable legacy of achievement in supporting the

cleanup and fostering the vitality of Bostons waterfront, said Riverlife
board of directors chairman Thomas J. Lamb, Jr. We are thrilled to
have Vivien lead Riverlife during this very active time of riverfront
development in Pittsburgh.
I am so proud to have worked at The Boston Harbor Association with
its extraordinary track record, and to have worked together with many,
many residents, community and business leaders, and elected officials
in being a part of the renaissance of Bostons waterfront, and will miss
my friends and colleagues here, Ms. Li said. Like Boston, the
transformation of Pittsburghs waterfront in the past decade has been
remarkable, Ms. Li said. I am honored to join Riverlifes dedicated
staff and board, and look forward to sharing lessons learned in Boston
with new partners in imagining and helping to realize the next chapter
of Pittsburghs riverfront redevelopment, Li said.
Prior to joining The Boston Harbor Association, Ms. Li served on the
senior staff of Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis, was special
assistant to the states commissioner of public health, project manager
for the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and an urban conference
manager for the National Urban League.
Ms. Li is actively engaged with a variety of organizations. She is
currently the Chair of MassDevelopments Brownfields Advisory Group,
Chair of the Boston Conservation Commission, Co-Chair of Bostons
2014 Climate Action Plan Steering Committee, and immediate past CoChair of the Advisory Council, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and
International Affairs, Princeton University. In September, Ms. Li will
receive the national Sierra Clubs 2015 Walter Starr Award honoring
former members of the Clubs Board of Directors for continued work on
behalf of the Club.
Ms. Li received her BA in environmental management from Barnard
College, Columbia University; and a joint masters degree in public
affairs and urban and regional planning from Princeton University.
###
About The Boston Harbor Association
The Boston Harbor Association (TBHA) is a non-profit, public interest
organization founded in 1973 by the League of Women Voters and the
374 Congress Street, Suite 307 | Boston, MA 02210 | 617.482.1722 |
TBHA.org

Boston Shipping Association to promote a clean, alive, and accessible

Boston Harbor. TBHA is also in the forefront of efforts to promote
climate resilient waterfront development. www.tbha.org
About Riverlife
Riverlife (formerly Riverlife Task Force) is a public-private partnership
established in 1999 to guide and advocate for the redevelopment of
Pittsburghs riverfronts. Riverlife works to reconnect Pittsburgh with its
rivers by bringing recreation, ecological restoration and economic
opportunity to its waterfronts. www.riverlifegh.org

374 Congress Street, Suite 307 | Boston, MA 02210 | 617.482.1722 |

TBHA.org