By Nicole Falco
Having served from 1970 until his retirement in June, Dinkoff is second only to Paul Fromer in total years on the board. Fromer served from 1954 to 1990.
Dinkoff devoted 33 years of his life to the betterment of education in District 13 and beyond. In 1971 he was appointed to the Central High School District Board of Education, and he served until 1997. He was a member of the Nassau/Suffolk School Boards Association (NSSBA) from 1982 until he retired in June, and he was selected to be a member of the New York State School Boards Association's (NYSSBA) executive committee in 1997. He retired from NYSSBA on New Year's Eve after completing a term as vice president.
The Herald has chosen Dinkoff as its Person of the Year in recognition of the more than three decades of service he has given to the Valley Stream community as a volunteer.
Dinkoff should be used to awards and accolades by now. In 1990 he received NYSSBA's Dyer Award for distinguished school board service, the highest award a school board member can receive in the state. He has earned the New York State PTA Life Membership Award twice, first in 1973 and again in 1985. In 1992, the New York State PTA honored him with its Distinguished Service Award. The National PTA recognized Dinkoff's work with its Lifetime Membership Award in 1999. NSSBA gave him its Distinguished Service Award in 1986, and in 1988 he was named Lay Educator of the Year by Phi Delta Kappa.
Dinkoff was entrusted with the leadership of the District 13 board for six non-consecutive terms, most recently during the 2002-03 school year. He was president of the high school district board four times and served as president of NSSBA from 1987 to 1989. He was elected Area 11 (Nassau County) director of NYSSBA in 1995. Had he not retired, Dinkoff was almost a shoo-in to be president of NYSSBA in 2004.
"People like Harris are hard to replace," said Timothy Kremer, NYSSBA's executive director.
Dinkoff was instrumental in the search and negotiation process that led to Kremer's hiring almost six years ago.
"He was our conscience," Kremer said. "He was the conscience of the board of directors and to a great extent the executive staff. ... He often reminded us about why we were doing this - it's not about money or control. It was always about kids and what was best for them."
According to those who worked with Dinkoff and the honoree himself, children were always the most important aspect of the decision-making process for him. "The thing I will always remember the most about Harris - the thing I will always respect the most about Harris - it was always about the children," said Dr. Frank Chiachiere, a District 13 and high school district board trustee. "[When I retire] I hope someone says, 'For Frank ... it was always about the children.'"
Dinkoff moved to District 13 in 1961. His three sons attended the Corona Avenue School (now the James A. Dever School), Memorial Junior High and Central High. Having children in district schools and wanting to play a greater role in his community, Dinkoff took a chance and won election to District 13's board in 1970.
"We moved into the community, my children were going to school here so I had the feeling to be a part of the community and serve it in some way and not just reside there," Dinkoff said when interviewed about his retirement. "Being involved in the schools seemed like a good enough contribution to make."
Dinkoff, a grandfather of eight, continued to serve the community long after his children were grown. "To think that this man has done this for 33 years and he doesn't have young children in the district anymore," marveled Karin Waslo, District 13 Interschool PTA president. "This is a commitment he has kept to all of the community."
Waslo became a member of the PTA when her oldest child, now a ninth-grader at Memorial, started school. In the 10 years she has been in the PTA, she has had the opportunity to work alongside Dinkoff. Last year Waslo took part in the principal search at the Wheeler Avenue School. She was impressed with the way Dinkoff and the board handled the search. Many at Wheeler wanted Christine Zerillo, a sixth-grade teacher, to get the job despite the fact that she did not have experience as a principal. Dinkoff and the board agreed.
Dinkoff also participated in four superintendent searches in District 13, including the one that led to the most recent hire, Dr. Elizabeth Lison. Lison was hired to replace Margaret Daugherty, who also retired in June.
"When people knew I was interested in being the Valley Stream School District 13 superintendent, everyone mentioned Harris Dinkoff - his name is synonymous with the Nassau/Suffolk School Boards Association and Valley Stream 13," Lison said. "He helped me know I was coming to a great place."
Dr. Martin Brooks, a former District 13 superintendent of schools who was also superintendent of the high school district, called Dinkoff a selfless and dedicated person. Like Lison, Brooks said Dinkoff helped make his transition to superintendent in District 13 easier. "He was a tremendous help to me," said Brooks, who is now superintendent in Plainview. "I learned a great deal from him, and I owe him a debt of gratitude that I will never be able to repay."
Brooks considers Dinkoff to be more than just a colleague, as do many others Dinkoff has worked with. Lorraine Deller, NSSBA's executive director, said her association will continue to seek Dinkoff's advice even though he has retired. "We can always count on Harris to bring thoughtful and professional input to the table, and more often than not, to present it with a keen sense of humor and irony," Deller said.
Dinkoff grappled with his decision to retire. In the end, he decided it was time to let someone new pick up where he left off. Having retired from a long career in sales in 1994, he said he would use his full retirement as an opportunity to travel, read and perhaps continue to volunteer in another capacity.
Dinkoff and Arline Strumeyer-Dinkoff, his wife of four years - a Nassau BOCES board member and former member of both the District 13 and high school boards - live in Malverne. Friends for more than 30 years, they married after they were both widowed. Between them they have five children (Dinkoff's second son died) and eight grandchildren.
"People say being a school board member is a thankless job ... but I think if you're looking for thanks in a tangible way ... then you're not in it for the right reasons," Dinkoff said last spring. "The reward that you get is in the recognition of what you are doing."
