Kathy Abbott is the first President and CEO of Boston Harbor Now. Kathy began her career on the Harbor Islands as a park ranger in college. As President and CEO, she is responsible for working with the board and staff to create a welcoming and resilient harbor that benefits everyone in the Greater Boston region. Kathy has a history of leading change through public and non-profit organizations including advancing statewide park planning, management and land conservation, educating students and impacting resource-based economies in primarily developing countries through applied environmental studies, creating a new national park through a first of its kind public-private partnership in Boston Harbor, increasing funding for public parks in Massachusetts, and growing the impact of the only year-round botanic garden in New England. She credits great teams and collaborations for her success. Her experience as an executive and entrepreneur in government and non-profits uniquely qualifies her to build upon the successes of the current waterfront renaissance.
She has worked locally and globally and volunteered nationally to advance the interests of urban parks as the Co-Chair of the City Parks Alliance. Her proudest accomplishments include volunteer work with kids, being a former foster mother and now a proud mom of a 30-year-old daughter. In 2016 she was named one of Boston’s Power 50 by the Boston Business Journal and one of the 100 Most Influential People in Boston by Boston Magazine in 2018. She received her degrees from the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, UMASS Amherst, and Harvard.