Samira Ahmadi

There are two new members on the board of the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy that manages the urban public park of the same name in downtown Boston.

One is Samira Ahmadi, a founding principal of enviE- NERGY Studio LLC, which focuses on sustainability strategy and energy performance analysis for new construction and existing building retrofits. She comes to the board with more than 15 years of experience in the energy and sustainability consulting space and is currently leading the sustainability efforts for two Boston developments, one in the Longwood Medical Area that is currently in planning phases, and another that just completed construction in Allston. She also serves on the Board of Trustees at the Boston Architectural College.

Ahmadi said that she is thrilled about this opportunity. “I am honored to join the Board of Directors of the Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy at such an important moment for our cities,” she said.

She described the Greenway as “a powerful example of how public space, climate resilience, art and community come together to shape more inclusive and vibrant cities” and said she’s excited to support the team and her fellow board members in helping sustain the Greenway “as a dynamic and resilient public space for generations to come.”

Anita Yip is the other new addition to the board. A citizen artist, Yip says her work begins with people, place and lived experience as she collaborates with organizations, institutions and communities to put on events, exhibits and participatory projects “that spark connection, amplify voices, and reimagine public space.”

Some of her art includes pieces that were on display during Chinatown’s first Double Ninth Festival (Chongyang Festival) as part of the city’s Un-monument series, as well as during Celebrations of Perseverance, a nature-based therapy event in Chinatown.

As part of her work, Yip launched Project Asian Joy, which showcases Asian communities through arts and culture, stories and joy. One of her upcoming pieces will be a permanent exhibit in Chinatown’s Josiah Quincy Upper School. Titled “Reclaiming History,” the piece will “celebrate the stories and resilience of Boston’s Chinatown, Little Syria, and New York Streets neighborhoods.”

Yip’s other work on advisory boards includes time on the city’s SPARK Boston Council, which works to give 20 to 35 year olds a greater role in planning the city’s future, and the Friday Night Supper Program, which works to address food security in Greater Boston.

“I’m excited to join the Greenway Board to bring community voices — especially those from Chinatown — into the planning process and help ensure our green spaces remain vibrant, accessible, and meaningful for all,” Yip said. “It’s important to me that people are not only visiting these spaces but also shaping the ways they’re enjoyed and experienced by everyone. Green spaces work best when the community is actively involved in shaping them,” she added.

The nonprofit Rose Kennedy Greenway Conservancy is responsible for all the management for the Greenway, which spans several Boston neighborhoods. Its 21- member Board of Directors helps ensure that the Conservancy’s work matches its mission and that it is sustainable.

Community groups, government agencies or officials, the Greenway Business Improvement District and the Conservancy can nominate members to the Board of Directors. Ahmadi was nominated by the Conservancy, while Yip was nominated by the Chinatown Residents Association, which has a seat on the Greenway Conservancy.

“We are proud to welcome Samira and Anita to the Board of Directors. Their leadership, expertise, and deep commitment to inclusive and sustainable public spaces will strengthen our stewardship of The Greenway and help guide its future as a vibrant place that reflects and serves the communities it belongs to,” Hilina D.

Ajakaiye, chair of the Greenway Conservancy Board of Directors, said in a statement.

Ajakaiye, who is the first woman of color to lead the Conservancy’s board, also told the Banner that representation was important to her. “My goal, and the goal of any board, should be to have diversity, not just in a literal sense, but also in how we look at the city,” she said. “It was very important to have representatives that have never had a chance to be on this board.

Welcoming Ahmadi and Yip was the result of work that Ajakaiye and various members of the Conservancy did to look at board metrics, representation around the city and “making sure that everyone at the table brings a perspective that’s very important and that they don’t all look the same or they are not the same kind of people,” she said.

Beyond bringing diverse perspectives, the particular expertise of each of the new appointees is also in line with the board’s goals, Ajakaiye said.

Ahmadi’s background in sustainability and energy saving “is a huge focus for us in the city of Boston,” she said.

Yip’s deep roots in Boston and as a resident of Chinatown are also an asset to the board, Ajakaiye said. “The Greenway is 1.5 miles of park, but Chinatown is right in the throes of it. We always want to make sure that we have someone that champions the neighborhood that they live in, but also holds us accountable,” she said.

The board, which last met on Feb. 3, typically meets four times a year, with committee work taking place between those meetings. One of the immediate focuses of the new board is aligning around the Conservancy’s strategic priorities, said Ajakaiye. But it also includes “strengthening community engagement, and ensuring the Greenway continues to serve as a vibrant, inclusive public space for all,” she said.