Join us for a cross-sector convening on waterfront access and equity, grounded in shared insight and designed to spark collective action.
John Dello Russo
Barr Foundation
As Program Associate for Special Initiatives, John provides programmatic and administrative support to Barr’s Racial Wealth Equity Initiative, Waterfront Initiative, and other time-limited Special Initiatives in services of advancing the strategic goals of each program. John joined Barr in January of 2019 and has supported several teams during that time, including starting his tenure at the Foundation as a member of the Sector Effectiveness and Learning and Evaluation teams. When he is not working, you can find John tending to his vegetable garden during the summer months (or dreaming of his garden in the winter).
Scott McCue
Charles River Conservancy
Scott (he/him) has spent much of his adult life working or playing near the Charles River. He brings a varied set of professional experiences to CRC, including 20 years building and leading urban educational institutions. Scott served most recently as a Regional Director with Mass Audubon, where he oversaw sanctuary management and educational offerings at properties in Boston’s Metro West. He strives to support people from different backgrounds finding belonging in the outdoors. Scott holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard and Master’s Degrees from Columbia and Johns Hopkins. Scott can be found most weekends running on a trail alongside the Charles River.
Karina Ramos
Mystic River Watershed Association
Karina (she/her) manages the Urban Forestry Program within the Climate Resilience Team at MyRWA. Alongside residents, municipalities, agencies, and community based organizations, she works to invest, protect, and expand the urban tree canopy, especially in the hottest neighborhoods in the Mystic. She is also a co-facilitator of the Extreme Heat Working Group in the Resilient Mystic Collaborative in which she convenes 20 municipalities of the Mystic River Watershed to facilitate conversations and regional projects around heat resilience and cooling interventions. Karina has experience in science education, microplastic and microbial research, and project management in recreational infrastructure. She holds a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross and earned her M.S. in Marine and Environmental Sciences from Northeastern University. In her free time, she enjoys being active outside, reading, and crafting.
Karen Groce-Horan
Neponset River Watershed Association
Karen works as a Community Engagement Strategist at Neponset River Watershed Association after careers in higher-ed, business finance, workforce development, and non-profit equity – justice work. Central to her work in the recent past has been collaboration and community impact.
Karen has been involved in racial, economic and environmental justice in the region for many years and partners with communities to bring engagement strategies and adaptive, resilient solutions for positive impact in the Neponset Watershed.
Karen holds a BS in Business, Human Resource Administration from SUNY Oswego. In her free time she enjoys singing with area Gospel Choirs and traveling the world with another singing chorus.