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.

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 Co-Chair 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.

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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 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