2025 Annual Council Meeting: Celebrations, Crucial Conversations, and Continuance
By: Amanda Belles, Digital Media and Marketing Specialist
June 10, 2025 – This year’s Annual Council Meeting was a special one in numerous ways. Held at the Cahill Auditorium inside Braintree Town Hall and marking the final annual meeting for retiring Executive Director Marc Draisen, it held space four important annual celebrations, many crucial conversations, and a continuance of key MAPC traditions, notably the annual elections for Officers and Executive Committee members.
Celebrations
Two MAPC annual awards were given at the Council Meeting – Planning Our Communities: Reimagining the Region Scholarship Award, and the Robert Davidson Staff Achievement Award.
The Planning Our Communities: Reimagining the Region Scholarship Award is an updated scholarship opportunity for a graduating high school senior in the Greater Boston region who is interested in the planning field.
This year’s scholarship was awarded to Ushan Prior, a graduating senior at Lexington High School who will attend Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. this fall.
The Robert Davidson Staff Achievement Award recognizes an MAPC staff member annually, who works collaboratively with other staff and MAPC Council members to improve the lives of people in the MAPC region and shows internal leadership with MAPC staff. Making this award extra special is that nominations are made by fellow MAPC staff members and leadership.
There were two awardees this year – Sasha Parodi, Community Engagement and Subregional Programs Manager; and Beth Robert, Emergency Preparedness Manager.
Said MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen: “Beth and Sasha have contributed immensely to MAPC and the region. They are deeply committed advocates, planners, and implementers. Every day, they uphold the values of MetroCommon through their work and through their caring interaction with staff colleagues and regional stakeholders.”
In addition to these two staff awards, MAPC recognized Faustina Cuevas, City of Lynn’s Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Faustina received MAPC’s annual Mayor Theodore Mann Regional Leadership Award during the 2025 Winter Council Meeting, which was a virtual meeting, and wanted to honor her in-person.
The award is given annually in memory and honor of Newton’s longest-serving mayor, Theodore “Teddy” Mann, to recognize a municipal leader from the Greater Boston region who is committed to regional collaboration.
“Faustina is a gifted leader in Lynn, is deeply committed to equity and justice, and consistently centers community and marginalized groups,” said MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen. “She joins a distinguished list of Mann Award recipients and undoubtedly deserves the recognition for her impactful regional work.”
Following the presentation of these awards, Executive Director Marc Draisen took the podium to give his 68th and final Executive Director’s Report to the MAPC Council, before his retirement from MAPC after 22 years leading the agency.
Marc focused on accomplishments made by MAPC and the 101 cities and towns in the region and shared his confidence in knowing that this important work on behalf of Greater Boston will continue. Marc also spoke about how the work that MAPC and municipal leaders in the region do is now more important than ever in the current federal climate.
At the conclusion, Marc received a standing ovation; an acknowledgment, thank you, and celebration of his public service and leadership to the Greater Boston region.
Crucial Conversations
The keynote address and panel discussion presented a unique opportunity to hear from four esteemed leaders about the crucial work they and their teams are doing in an unstable federal landscape.
The keynote – Canada and New England: An Economic Relationship that Impacts Every Community – was given by Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Consul General of Canada to Boston. Ms. Jordan spoke about the friendship and partnership that has long existed between Canada and the United States, and how that is being tested currently at the federal level. She focused on the economic importance of the continued working relationship between Canada and the New England area, especially right now.
Following the Keynote, was a panel discussion between Ms. Jordan, Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, in which they shared their thoughts on how to continue to support and advance the economic partnership between Canada and the New England area, specifically focused on Massachusetts.
Continuance
One important aspect of ensuring the work in the region continues, happens every year during the Annual Council Meetings – the election of MAPC Council Officers and Executive Committee Members.
Election results for this year:
Council:
- President: Erin Wortman, Town of Stoneham
- Vice President: Jennifer Constable, Town of Hull
- Secretary: Imaikalani Aiu, Town of Weston
- Treasurer: Sam Seidel, Gubernatorial
Executive Committee*:
- Ex-Officio
- Elaine Wijnja, Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities
- Rob King, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
- Vandana Rao, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
- Sarah Lee, Massport
- Juan R. Vega, Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development
- Towns
- Claire Ricker, Ricker, Arlington
- Sarah Dixon, Norwood
- Colette E. Aufranc, Wellesley
- Taber Keally, Milton
- Moe Handel, Needham
- Cities
- Segun Idowu Boston
- Peter Matchak, Braintree
- John DePriest, Chelsea
- Thomas Galligani, Somerville
- Tom Daniel, Salem
- Gubernatorial
- Angie Liou
- Karen Canfield
- Stephen J. Silveira
- Viana Nascimento
- Whitney Demetrius
Congratulations to all the awardees, those who were elected and re-elected, and of course, to MAPC’s Executive Director Marc Draisen on his 22 years as MAPC’s steadfast leader.
*These are the Executive Committee members elected or re-elected this year. To view a full list of Executive Committee members, please visit the Board and Council webpage.