By Beth Treffeisen
The Back Bay Association hosted its 94th annual meeting at the Boston Park Plaza, on Monday, May 1. Back Bay businesses and community leaders joined for a morning of networking, breakfast and honoring of the Heavy Lifting Award winner who displayed leadership in helping the community succeed. Attendees also got a sneak peak into the Boston Park’s Plaza new $100 million renovation.
Featured speakers included Governor Charlie Baker and Mayor Martin J. Walsh.
“This is the life blood of everything we do,” said Meg Mainzer-Cohen the president and executive director of the Back Bay Association. “Thank you for being active members in this neighborhood and supporting each other.”
The Heavy Lifting Award went to Joyce Linehan the Chief of Policy at the City of Boston whom has been incremental in ensuring the Back Bay thrives.
“The waterfront is terrific but people come to Boston to see the Swan Boats and to walk down Newbury Street,” said Ronald M. Druker who presented the Heavy Lifting Award.
Linehan said that this award is fitting because she used to spend her days as a student studying in the stacks of the Boston Public Library and sifting through the Newbury Street Comics.
Mayor Walsh pointed out that this year has been big for the Back Bay with the renovation of the Boston Public Library, the opening of Eataly, and Open Newbury Street.
“The Back Bay Association is always eager to be part of the communication and have a seat at the table,” said Mayor Walsh. “This organization is helping us shape the way the Back Bay develops and changes in the future.”
Governor Baker said that organizations like this make it easy to create opportunities to build a relationship between the neighborhoods and the state government.
“It’s all about having a conversation because no one knows all the answers,” said Baker. “You have to listen to the other side and then bring that to the state government.”