Lowell Waterways Vitality Initiative Announces Hirings to Further Action Plan Goals

The Lowell Waterways Initiative is pleased to announce the hiring of two consulting professionals who will work together to further the goals of the group’s Action Plan. This plan includes implementing lighting activities, supporting events, recreation, development, arts and culture centered around the city’s historic waterways. Partnering with the Greater Lowell Community Foundation (GLCF), Malika Leiper and Jonathan (Jon) Geer have been hired to work on programs, technical issues and fundraising, with a focus on expanding community engagement.

Initially, Mr. Geer of Lowell will help coordinate construction related work for the illumination of the historic Ouellette (Aiken Street) Bridge. Ms. Leiper, who will commute between Lowell and Brooklyn, New York, will assist with community involvement, design and planning issues, as well as communications.

Mr. Geer is a graduate of State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Natural Resources Management. He was a career employee of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, retiring in 2015. His former positions included Secretariat Chief Information Officer, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) and Director of Capital Planning and Project Tracking, Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). He is a present member of the City of Lowell Sustainability Council, President of the Belvidere Neighborhood Association and Board Member of the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust.

Ms. Leiper is a graduate of Columbia University (BA) and the Harvard Graduate School of Design. Ms. Leiper’s previous work includes serving as Digital Communications Consultant for the Harlem Community Development Corporation, New York, 2017 and as Community Service Fellow for the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association (CMAA) of Lowell, 2018. She is the recipient of the Award for Excellence in Project-Based Urban Planning for work accomplished with CMAA and received the Penny White Project Fund Landscape Architecture Award for Research and Travel for a program entitled “Threads of Capital, Towards Alternative Landscapes of Care for Cambodia’s Garment Sector.”

Fred Faust, co-chair of the Waterways Initiative Steering Committee welcomed the new team. “These are two highly qualified individuals with the know-how, community values and energy to advance many of the exciting plans for the city’s waterways. Whether it is this year’s lighting of the Ouellette Bridge, support for water-centered activities or related economic development benefits – Malika and Jon will play a visible role in the implementation of this vision.”

Jay Linnehan, CEO and President of the GLCF also expressed the confidence that the hiring of these positions will accelerate activities and the reach of the Waterways Initiative. “Over the past several years,” commented Linnehan, “the Foundation’s partnership with the Waterways Initiative has been able to provide both organizational guidance and day-to-day support. With the encouragement of our Board of Directors and many other partners, we see tremendous potential which can only be accelerated by the skills and commitment of professionals like Malika and Jon.”

Faust and Linnehan also credited other strong partners for progress to date. They singled out, among others, The City of Lowell, Statehouse Delegation, Congresswoman Trahan and Lowell National Historic Park and DIY Lowell.

The new hires will be introduced at a February 5, 2020 meeting of the Lowell Heritage Partnership (LHP) at the UMASS iHub in Lowell, which starts at 5 PM. The LHP board also invites interested members of the public to attend this meeting, which will focus on future plans and the mission of the LHP. The hiring of Malika and Jon by the Waterways Initiative was effective as of January 2020.

The Lowell Waterways Vitality Initiative was first introduced publicly in January, 2016, when more than 100 people gathered at the Luna Theatre in Mill No. 5 to witness a vision of Lowell’s waterways at their best. The Lowell Heritage Partnership then worked with the City of Lowell and Lowell National Historical Park, among others, to develop its Action Plan and to make that vision a reality.