On Tuesday, Mayor-elect Michelle Wu announced her official transition Co-Chairs, along with an initial list of transition advisors that includes Eastie Farm founder and director Kannan Thiruvengadam.
Thiruvengadam was most recently appointed by Acting Mayor Kim Janey to serve on the Boston Conservation Commission (BCC) and was a featured speaker at the Massachusetts Democratic Party 2021 Platform Convention held in September. Thiruvengadam helped contribute to the party’s platform, and has worked for years advocating for resiliency and sustainability across Eastie and the city.
Thiruvengadam joins a diverse group of transition advisors, who will bring a range of lived experiences, expertise, and perspectives to help advance key priorities during the condensed transition period, support the early days of the Wu Administration, and ensure close, collaborative ties to communities across Boston.
“I’m proud that the mayor elect is building her transition team ground up by choosing people from the communities so they can speak with the wisdom of all the regular folks that they can connect with,” said Thiruvengadam. “So this is not like the usual elitist kind of group but it’s really going out into the community and figuring out how to build equity. Being in East Boston has given me a good understanding of what an environmental justice and climate justice community needs, both in terms of protection of this community in the long term, and its economic uplifting in the short term so we can preserve the community. That knowledge, I think, is going to be helpful in providing useful input to the Mayor-Elect and her team.”
Several years ago Thiruvengadam got a group of like-minded advocates together and lobbied for a community farm instead of another residential development.
The city handed over the land and Thiruvengadam and volunteers created Eastie Farm–a community garden that prides itself on sustainability. With Thiruvengadam as a mentor, volunteers learn about rainwater conservation, waste management, and other eco-friendly urban farming methods, all while getting to know their neighbors and having fun.
Aside from his work at Eastie Farm, Thiruvengadam hosts “What’s up Eastie?”, a radio show about local issues in a larger context, at Zumix. Thiruvengadam is also a Climate Ready Boston Leader. He has a technology background, has studied climate science, permaculture, and community engagement, and is passionate about regenerative and sustainable practices in agriculture and urban design.
Aside from appointing Thiruvengadam as a key advisor, Wu appointed current Acting Mayor Kim Janey, the first woman and person of color to hold the position of Mayor in Boston, to serve as Honorary Chair of the transition. The transition Co-Chairs include former State Representative, Commissioner on the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, and current Senior Vice President for public policy, advocacy and government relations for YouthBuild USA Charlotte Golar Richie; former Massachusetts Secretary of Administration and Finance and current Partner at the law firm Hinckley Allen, Jay Gonzalez; and Noemi “Mimi” Ramos, community activist and current Executive Director of New England United 4 Justice (NEU4J).
“I am grateful to these community leaders and partners for sharing their wisdom and insight to our work in this important transition period,” said Mayor-elect Wu. “This group represents just the beginning of our work to uplift bold solutions to the biggest challenges that await us, and to enlist community in the work of making them a reality. Their expertise and lived experiences are a reflection of the possibility and promise of our city, and I’m honored to have their partnership engaging residents across the city in these early days.”
Wu has also announced her official transition website, www.AllAboardBoston.com, where visitors can find additional information about transition events and announcements, as well as links to apply for roles in the new Administration and provide feedback about key priorities. More information about the transition Co-Chairs and advisors, specifically, can be found at https://allaboardboston.com/transition-committee.