Join us for a cross-sector convening on waterfront access and equity, grounded in shared insight and designed to spark collective action.
Marty Walsh
President, Gateway Public Solutions
Marty began his career in Massachusetts working for candidates running for public office at all levels of government – local, state, and federal. He joined Senator Ted Kennedy’s 2000 Senate campaign, later moving to his U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee in Washington, D.C. Marty returned to Massachusetts in 2005 to serve as Senator Kennedy's campaign manager for his successful 2006 election. He then joined Governor Deval Patrick’s Office of Housing and Economic Development as the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of Business Development in 2007. Through these experiences, Marty developed strong and trusted relationships with policymakers which persist today, and mastered the intricacies of the legislative and regulatory processes.
After leaving government service, Marty founded Gateway Public Solutions in 2013, with the goal of providing a broad range of public affairs services to businesses, non-profit organizations, and candidates for public office. Over the past 10+ years, GPS has worked with dozens of clients to develop and implement strategic advocacy and political plans to protect and grow their businesses, achieve legislative goals, obtain critical public funding, win elections, pass ballot questions, and protect and grow organized labor in Massachusetts.
Alison Brizius
Assistant Secretary and Director, Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Alison Brizius is the Assistant Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and the Director of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM), leading the state’s policy and planning efforts on coastal and ocean issues. The goal of CZM and its 30-member multidisciplinary team is to balance the impact of human activities with the protection of coastal and marine resources through planning, public involvement, education, research, and sound resource management. Alison joined CZM from the City of Boston, where she served as Commissioner of Environment. In this role, she led the Department in addressing climate change impacts, such as achieving net zero emissions while protecting natural resources, enhancing environmental justice, and improving quality of life for Boston residents. She also served as Boston’s Director of Climate and Environmental Planning and as the Executive Director of the Center for Robust Decision-making on Climate and Energy Policy (RDCEP) at the University of Chicago, a multi-institutional interdisciplinary center founded to improve society’s ability to respond to climate change and energy supply challenges. Alison received her Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Chicago.
Enrique José Pepén
Boston City Councilor, District 5
Enrique J. Pepén is a proud first-generation Dominican-American, Boston Public Schools alumnus, lifelong Bostonian, and public servant. Pepén attributes his call to public service to his upbringing in the Charlestown Public Housing community. There he witnessed his neighbors working together with former Mayor Thomas Menino to build community after a tragedy at the nearby high school. Since then, Pepén strives to be a part of the solution to the obstacles facing his many communities.
Eager to learn and be active, Pepén started his career interning for former City Councilor Tito Jackson while attending undergraduate courses at Suffolk University. Upon graduating, he went on to serve as a district coordinator for former Congressman Joe Kennedy III. Pepén was appointed by former Mayor Marty Walsh as the Jamaica Plain Liaison in the Office of Neighborhood Services in 2019. During this time, he also served as the President of the Young Democrats of Massachusetts Latino Caucus. In the fall of 2020, Pepén joined Transportation for Massachusetts as their Community Engagement Coordinator, where he was the Co-Chair of the Regional Transit Authority Advocates Coalition (RTAAC), advocating for funding and policies that strengthen transit services statewide. Most recently, Pepén served as the Executive Director for the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Services. Now, he proudly represents the neighborhoods of Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Roslindale in the Boston City Council.
Pepén lives in Roslindale with his wife and three kids. He is honored to serve the district he has called home for his adult life and raising his family in.
Johannes Buchanan
Assistant Secretary for Government Relations, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Johannes Buchanan, “JB” is the Assistant Secretary for Government Relations at the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). In this role, he oversees relations with the Massachusetts State Legislature, Federal delegation, and stakeholders on behalf of EEA and its seven agencies.
Prior to serving at EEA, JB worked at the Department of Energy Resources and the Massachusetts State Senate. He received his juris doctorate from Suffolk Law School and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar Association.
Griffin Tighe
Chief of Staff, Office of State Representative Kate Hogan, Speaker Pro Tempore
Griffin Tighe is Chief of Staff to Representative Kate Hogan who serves as Speaker Pro Tempore in the Massachusetts Legislature. He helps lead the office’s legislative, constituent, and community engagement efforts. Griffin works closely with municipalities, nonprofit organizations, advocacy groups, and state agencies on issues ranging from public health and life sciences to infrastructure and environmental policy. Prior to serving in government, Griffin worked on political campaigns, where he developed extensive experience building and managing statewide coalitions. Griffin is also currently a third-year evening student at Suffolk University Law School, where he is pursuing his J.D.