West Nyack CEO Honored by Waterfront Alliance with Annual 'Heroes of the Harbor' Award

NYACK, NY — A man who has spent much of his career diving under piers in the New York City harbor was honored Oct. 5 by the Waterfront Alliance with its esteemed 2016 Heroes of the Harbor award.

The organization recognized Malcolm G. McLaren, president and CEO of McLaren Engineering Group, for his remarkable contributions to the New York harbor and waterways, calling him an "enthusiast and innovator."

"Over the years I've probably been under every pier in the harbor. I found that certain structures built 80 years ago were in good condition, and things built 15 years ago were falling apart. I learned about the right way and the wrong way to do things in New York harbor," says McLaren, who pioneered the concept of Professional Engineer diving in the 1970's and drove the initial push to inspect, repair and maintain the waterfront. "I'm honored to receive the Heroes of the Harbor Award."

For nearly 40 years, McLaren has been working to improve New York's waterfront, Alliance officials said. He has worked on more than 1,000 projects across more than 300 miles along New York's coastline, ­ transforming industrial waterfronts into parks, reconstructing scores of piers, and improving port complexes, ferry terminals and landings.

A leading advocate for ferry transportation into NYC, McLaren has also sought to improve public access to the shore.

"From the earliest lonely days where he strapped on the diving helmet and began to explore New York Harbor's forgotten murkiest depths, to today where he leads one of the top maritime engineering firms in the world, Mal has been an innovator, leader, and enthusiast about our waterfront," said Roland Lewis, President and CEO of the Waterfront Alliance. "We're thrilled to recognize his work at the waterfront that has inspired the next generation of waterfront stewards."

The Heroes of the Harbor award is presented annually to members of the New York waterfront community for their unique contributions to making the New York Harbor and waterfront an exceptional place. As the Waterfront Alliance's signature annual event, Heroes of the Harbor raises critical funds to support the work to protect, transform, and revitalize the New York and New Jersey harbor and waterfront.

About McLaren Engineering Group
McLaren Engineering Group features eight engineering divisions -- including marine and waterborne transportation -- staffed with nearly 200 employees in 10 offices. Founded in 1977 and headquartered in West Nyack, NY, McLaren has successfully completed over 12,000 projects, from inspection to design to construction management. With experts in numerous engineering disciplines ­ and a passion for innovation and out-of-the-box thinking ­ McLaren can address any project's specific range of design requirements with technical excellence and innovation.

About The Waterfront Alliance
The Waterfront Alliance works to protect, transform, and revitalize the harbor and waterfront of New York and New Jersey. The Waterfront Alliance began as a project of The Municipal Art Society of New York. It became an independent organization in 2007 when a group of leading activists, businesses, foundations, and civic organizations came together with the goal of making the New York and New Jersey harbor a shared, resilient, and accessible resource for all. Since then, the Waterfront Alliance has grown into a coalition of more than 900 organizations working together to bring about real change to our region's waterways and 700 miles of shoreline.

PHOTO: Malcolm McLaren accepts Heroes of the Harbor award/ contributed