McLaren Engineering CEO honored for New York waterfront improvements

New York — The Waterfront Alliance honored Malcolm G. McLaren, president and CEO, McLaren Engineering Group, with the esteemed 2016 Heroes of the Harbor award. The organization recognized McLaren for his remarkable contributions to the New York harbor and waterways, calling him an “enthusiast and innovator.”

For nearly 40 years, McLaren has been working to improve New York’s waterfront. He has worked on over 1,000 projects across over 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 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,” says 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.”

“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 1970s and drove the initial push to inspect, repair and maintain the waterfront.  “I’m honored to receive the Heroes of the Harbor Award.”

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 Alliances’ 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.