City of Medford, Medford, MA 02155
Syrah McGivern serves as the Community Transformation Coordinator for the City of Medford, MA, since March 2012, focusing on projects related to nutrition, food access, and physical activity. In addition to this role, McGivern contributes as an Advisory Board Member for Cooking Matters Massachusetts and as a Board Member for the Medford Farmers Market. As a Nutrition Educator with Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters since March 2005, McGivern teaches essential skills to low-income families and has led the development of hands-on educational materials and grocery store tours. Previous experience includes positions as a WIC Nutritionist at Whittier Street Health Center, Aquaculture Research Analyst at Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Nutrition Clerk at Mount Auburn Hospital. McGivern holds multiple degrees in Nutrition and related fields from institutions including Tulane University, Simmons University, and Tufts University, alongside various study abroad programs.
City of Medford, Medford, MA 02155
The name Medford is thought to have come from "the ford by the meadow" or "Meadford" thus commemorating the importance of the fordable part of the Mystic River located just west of present-day Medford Square. The original area of Medford was owned by Mathew Cradock, the first Governor of the Massachusetts colonies. Although Cradock never saw it, he employed men to develop his land into a plantation. After his death, the plantation passed to his heirs and then was sold en masse in 1652 to Edward Collins. The area was designated a "peculiar" which signified that it was private property and not a properly incorporated town. Collins began selling pieces of land to others after 1656. In 1684, Medford was granted the right to raise its own money by the General Court. In 1892, Medford became incorporated as a city.