(BOSTON) – This week, the Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) announced the selection of State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull) as a House Vice-Chair for the 2023-2024 legislative session. The Metropolitan Beaches Commission was created in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature to provide oversight to the Boston area’s 15 public beaches, including those in the town of Hull which are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).

“I am pleased to serve as a Vice-Chair in the House of Representatives for the Metropolitan Beaches Commission,” said State Representative Joan Meschino (D-Hull). “As a legislator for an open-ocean district, I understand that the Commonwealth’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities depend on the maintenance of our coastline. I look forward to continued collaboration with leaders in this space to identify shared issues and to advocate for both increased resources and public access.”

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission is comprised of elected officials and community leaders from Boston and the metropolitan region’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities. Its work is facilitated by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, who has served as lead consultant to the Commission since its inception. The MBC coordinates yearly Better Beaches Program grants to organizations in these coastal municipalities as well.

As of last year, The Metropolitan Beaches Commission was in the process of holding a series of three public hearings to assess the state of access, equity, and inclusion on the region’s public beaches. Hearing topics included racial justice, access for people with disabilities, and access for people who do not primarily communicate in English, all of which can be viewed on the MBC website.