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Overcast Rec Center’s Victoria Dinielli steps down
The Freeport Recreation Center has been a hub of activity for village residents of all ages, as well as visitors from around Nassau County, since it opened in 1974. It offers services as far-ranging as youth fitness activities and providing a place for senior citizens to enjoy one another’s company. For the past 14 years — until her retirement on Jan. 4 — Victoria Dinielli has managed the facility, playing a unique role in fostering a sense of community in the village.
Dinielli, 64, came to the Freeport Rec, as the facility is known to so many, in November 2009. With a background in managing fitness facilities, she brought a wealth of experience and a passion for community engagement. “I came from a fitness facility in the area, and the Freeport Recreation Center seemed like the next step up from what I was doing,” she recalled. “The move to the Village of Freeport presented a great opportunity, and I thought I could make a positive impact in this community.”
Over the years, Dinielli has led efforts to expand the center’s offerings, which include a gym that hosts everything from youth basketball to gem and gun shows, indoor and outdoor swimming pools that together have become one of the busiest and best-known aquatic facilities on Long Island, and these days — what else? — a thriving pickleball program. The Rec’s indoor ice rink sees near-constant use, its lobby is crowded with voters in every election cycle, and job seekers line up by the hundreds for its annual job fairs.
Always attuned to the community’s evolving needs, Dinielli emphasized the importance of staying current and creative in programming to cater to those of all interests, in all age groups.
One of the benchmarks of her tenure was her leadership in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, when the Freeport Rec was transformed from a recreational facility into a much-needed shelter, providing essential services to residents affected by the hurricane. “Those few days right after Sandy hit were challenging, but we tried to help the community in any way we could,” Dinielli recounted. “We became a warming center, a place for people to recharge their phones, and a support system for those who lost almost everything.”
As she looks toward retirement, Dinielli expressed mixed emotions. “It’s bittersweet,” she acknowledged. “Most of the people I’ve worked with have been here for the entire time. We’ve become like family, and leaving them is the hardest part.” She emphasized the collaborative effort that makes the Rec Center successful, crediting the contributions of the staff and the support of Freeport Mayor Robert Kennedy, who Dinielli said “was very supportive in growing the programs at the rec center,” and the village board of trustees.
Dinielli looks forward to spending more time with her children, Jaclyn O’Neill, 35, and Joseph Dinielli, 32, and her new grandson, Nathan O’Neill, who is almost 3 months old.
“It’s time to hand over the reins and focus on personal endeavors,” she said. “I’ve been fortunate to be part of this incredible community, and now it’s time for a new chapter.”
