Former longtime parks chief Joe Connelly
Family reasons cited for accepting similar position elsewhere
UPDATED July 22: Joe Connelly, head of the Town of Arlington Recreation Department on-and-off for nearly a quarter-century, serving more than 15 years, has taken a similar job in Andover, according to his LinkedIn profile — a community where he had worked before.
Natasha Waden, Arlington’s public-health director, as of Monday, July 15, became interim director of recreation, at an annual pay of $126,500. For the time being, given Waden’s new post, Deputy Town Manager Christine Bongiorno is going to help out at public health, which is part of the Health and Human Services Department that Bongiorno formerly headed, town officials said July 16 via email. All Recreation programming will continue as planned including the popular evenings at “the res.”
“I do not plan to make any major changes. I am focused on supporting the recreation team in ensuring a successful summer season,” Waden said Tuesday. “I welcomed this opportunity to support the town, the Recreation Department and Park & Recreation Commission during this challenging time of need and transition.”
The weekend of July 21-22, Connelly submitted a comprehensive statement to YourArlington, which appears below:
“After much consideration, I decided to accept a similar role as the Director of Recreation for the Town of Andover. The Town of Arlington was a fantastic place for me to work for more than 16 years. The positive relationships I built during that time with other town staff, board members and community members made the decision very difficult. In the end, it was the close proximity to home and family that resulted in the decision to leave Arlington. Within the past year I have also had the honor of being blessed with a granddaughter. Having the opportunity to finish my municipal career in a community where she is growing up is something I just could not pass up.
“There is much to be proud of during my tenure at Arlington Recreation. During the past four years being involved in multiple park renovation projects including the Reservoir Renovation project, Bishop Playground, Stratton Playground, Peirce Playground, Spy Pond Playground, Parmenter Playground, Hills Hill Mountain Biking Design, Robbins Playground, Hurd Field, Parmenter Park Design, the Athletic Court Need Assessment and the multiple ADA improvement projects was a phenomenal experience.
“The recent move of the Arlington Recreation Department to the Parmenter School was something I have wanted since the year 2000, and it is something that I honestly believe will serve the department and the town well for years to come.
“It is certainly with mixed emotions that I leave such a well-run and forward-thinking community but I am excited about bringing some of that same thinking to my new position in Andover.”
Announcements earlier made to commissions
Connelly’s departure from the post that he had held most recently for four-plus years was announced at the end of Thursday night’s otherwise relatively uneventful Conservation Commission meeting — and earlier, elsewhere. “His departure and the transition plan were discussed at the Park & Recreation Commission’s June 25 meeting,” Town Manager Jim Feeney said Tuesday, adding, “Mr. Connelly had countless accomplishments as the town’s recreation Director, including the completion of numerous capital projects at our recreational assets, establishment of new and exciting programming, and the growth of the state-licensed Kid Care Preschool and after-school programs.”
Waden’s qualifications cited
Asked why Waden was chosen, Feeney said, “As the longtime director of public health, she has a keen understanding of the regulatory requirements of running summer operations within the Recreation Department, including camps and the reservoir bathing beach. Natasha has successfully managed budgets, personnel, programs and events, as well as community relations, over her 18-year career here in town. She has worked closely with the Recreation Department, which is a complex operation, during her tenure, and has been working alongside Joe for the past few weeks.”
Waden said that “Christine Bongiorno, current deputy town manager of operations and former director of Health and Human Services, will be supporting the [Health] Department during this interim transition period.”
Until Friday, Connelly headed Recreation for the previous four-plus years, having been the unanimous first choice out of nearly three dozen competitors. He had held the same position twice before in Arlington and also has worked in Andover, Boston, Reading, Winchester, Woburn and Windham, N.H. He has a bachelor of science in sports management, a master’s of education in athletic administration and a certificate in local government, leadership and management. In fiscal 2025, which began July 1, he was on track to earn $152,636, Feeney said.
Connelly’s automatic outgoing message July 12 was as follows: “Hi, everyone, As of July 12, I no longer work for the Town of Arlington. I want to thank everyone who supported Arlington Recreation and myself over the years. The Town of Arlington and the Arlington Recreation staff are second to none. Natasha Waden will be the Interim Director of Recreation. Please email Natasha on all recreation matters. For program-related questions, please email Program Supervisor Matt Curran. Thank you.”
Feeney said that Connelly’s three stints heading the Recreation Department in Arlington were as follows: Jan. 18, 2000, through Oct. 17, 2001; June 21, 2006, through June 17, 2016; and May 27, 2020, through July 12, 2024.
This news article by YourArlington Editor Judith Pfeffer was published the evening of Tuesday, July 16, 2024. It was updated Monday, July 22, with a formal statement from Joe Connelly, who served as the town’s director of the Recreation Department three times over nearly a quarter-century.
