When Dr. Doreen DiDomenico hands over the reins of First District Hudson County Freeholder to successor Kenneth Kopacz in three weeks, she will do so with a heavy heart.
A county public servant for nearly a decade, she decided not to seek reelection to dedicate herself to her profession and the institution that forged her career.
The assistant director at the Rutgers Anxiety Disorders Clinic in Piscataway, DiDomenico will become acting director in January, and will be groomed to take over the permanent directorship within a year after that. The clinic is affiliated with the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology.
“This has been a wonderful thing, public service,” DiDomenico said last week. “But I spent a whole lot of years in school studying psychology for this. They really need me back there on a fulltime basis.”
DiDomenico has a full plate. Besides working at the university and her duties as freeholder, she has her own practice and has two daughters.
Asked which of her freeholder accomplishments are most important, she said, “It’s hard to prioritize. But things related to the Bayonne country park, Stephen R. Gregg Park, are probably the things I’ve dealt with most personally. People love that park.”
As a member of the board, DiDomenico fought hard to keep the park a premier recreation site for city and county residents.
One major project was the renovation of the tennis courts.
“The project took a lot to get going,” DiDomenico said. “I think the tennis community was happy with the results.”
The park has structures designated as historic.
“We had to renovate taking all that into consideration,” DiDomenico said.
The playgrounds were also redone, and a dog park was added last spring, something that residents wanted for years.
“It’s close to the playground, so families come with children and you have something for everybody,” DiDomenico said. Lights for the dog park were to be added by this week or next.
She was also chairperson of the county’s annual Women’s History Observance. Taking the theme of the National History Project and incorporating it at the county level was something she spearheaded. It involved mayors and freeholders nominating which women were to be honored.
“It was women around Hudson County who were making an impact. It’s just a wonderful celebration,” DiDomenico said. “Through their volunteering, professional life, or whatever it is. Women in the arts, science, and technology, etc. That’s something I loved as part of my time as freeholder.”
Working on acquiring funding for Bayonne from the Hudson County Open Space Trust Fund was also a priority for DiDomenico. The First District includes Bayonne and a portion of Jersey City.
Bayonne benefited greatly from her efforts, including those at Harborview Park, where the city’s 9/11 memorial is located. Russell Golding, Richard Rutkowski, and Al Slootsky parks were among others that benefited from the funds. The Bayonne Museum, now a social center for the city, received open space funding for several years in a row for renovations until it could eventually be opened.
One of the hardest decisions for her was when the freeholders eliminated sports from the county schools of technology. Those attending county schools can still play sports at their local schools.
Most satisfying
“I think some of the rewarding moments were helping individual people,” she said. “If someone called to find out about the county welfare system, or wanted to learn more about it, if I was able to point them in the right direction, that was satisfying. Those were the moments that were rewarding.”
“Seeing it on that level; you make a difference,” DiDomenico said. “I liked doing those things.”
“This has been a wonderful thing, public service.” – Freeholder Doreen DiDomenico
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Her successor
DiDomenico believes the freeholder seat she now vacates will be well served by her successor, Kopacz, who takes over next month. The two have already met to discuss issues and projects.
She’s known Kopacz for years, going back to her days on the Bayonne Board of Education.
“He’s been a teacher, and now’s he’s a principal. He’s been so involved in the community,” DiDomenico said.
She also knows him through the Simpson Baber Foundation for the Autistic and the Bayonne Equal Opportunity Foundation, at both of which he’s held leadership posts.
“I’ve had a lot of contact with him,” DiDomenico said. “I’m thrilled he’s going to be sitting in that seat. I’ve a lot of confidence in Kenny that he’s going to be a great freeholder. He’s very
community oriented. He’s going to do fine.”
Never say never
DiDomenico does not rule out returning to government if the time and situation were right.
“Maybe, not right now,” she said. “I have to focus on professional obligations and on being a good director of the clinic. I have a little private practice. I have to concentrate my energies on that. It was a privilege and a very honorable thing to do. So we’ll see what happens.”
Joseph Passantino may be reached at JoePass@hudsonreporter.com.