July 1, 1998
Contact: Anne Donovan
(617) 727-9530, x411

Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (MCZM) announces the appointment of Heather Clish as the Assistant Regional Coordinator for the North Shore. Having served as the MCZM state- wide COASTSWEEP beach cleanup coordinator, Ms. Clish brings both demonstrated familiarity with the region and MCZM to the position. She also has extensive professional experience working with communities on environmental issues in Portland, Oregon, as well as a solid academic foundation in environmental policy.

"Heather has both the technical know-how and the communications skills to be a great asset to the communities on the North Shore," said Peg Brady, Director of MCZM. "Her commitment to coastal issues and her extremely dedicated work ethic has shone through in all the work she has done for MCZM so far, and we are thrilled to have her in this position."

Ms. Clish's successes at MCZM include: coordinating the activities of approximately 100 coastal cleanups throughout the state during the 10th annual COASTSWEEP campaign, with over 5,000 people participating in the event; initiating the Classroom to the Coast project on the North Shore, which will help teachers to explore public access issues with their students through an interdisciplinary, regional approach; and working with Gloucester to develop water sampling techniques to detect water pollution from runoff. Before coming to MCZM, Ms. Clish served as the Public Involvement Coordinator for the City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services. She coordinated efforts to involve the public in a variety of projects, ranging from designing and monitoring a constructed wetland to siting a new wastewater treatment facility.

"Working for MCZM is a great opportunity for me to bring my knowledge of coastal issues and my experience in community support and involvement to the North Shore," explained Ms. Clish. "I look forward to helping to protect the integrity of the coastal resources so precious to this region."

Ms. Clish holds a Master of Arts in Environmental Policy from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts in Humanistic Studies from McGill University. She has conducted extensive research on international cooperative arrangements for coastal resource management. In addition, Ms. Clish has conducted research on international fisheries management and her findings will soon be published in a comprehensive paper on the subject.

MCZM's North Shore Regional Office serves the coastal communities in Essex County from Salisbury to Revere. These communities include: Amesbury, Beverly, Danvers, Essex, Gloucester, Ipswich, Lynn, Manchester, Marblehead, Nahant, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Revere, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Salisbury, Saugus and Swampscott. The office is located at #2 State Fish Pier, Gloucester, MA 01930; the telephone number is (978) 281-3972; and the fax number is (978) 281- 8979.