Julie Wormser has been named executive director of The Boston Harbor Association, replacing President Vivien Li, who was promoted to the top job in March after serving as executive director for 20 years.

"The combination of Julie Wormser and Vivien Li creates a very strong senior team for TBHA," said Brian Dacey, chairman of the board of trustees. "Between Vivien’s unmatched knowledge of Boston Harbor issues and Julie’s extensive background in environmental policy and capacity building, our new team has the skills and resources to enable TBHA to grow our advocacy and programming efforts."

Most recently, Wormser served as New England regional director of the oceans program for the Environmental Defense Fund. Previously, she managed regional policy programs for the Appalachian Mountain Club and The Wilderness Society.

"Julie is joining us at an important time in our organization’s history," said Li. "With the near-completion of both the harbor cleanup and the 47-mile Harbor Walk, Boston Harbor is once again a vibrant, world-class resource for residents and visitors alike. Yet with the rise in the sea level threatening this historic port, we have yeoman’s work ahead of us to protect the city’s harbor front businesses and infrastructure from the impacts of climate change."

"I have long been a fan of Vivien’s and of The Boston Harbor Association," said Wormser. "I look forward to working together with her and with a wide range of partners to address the emerging threats and to leverage opportunities to Boston Harbor and the communities that surround it."