Ocean Park Civic League is a neighborhood association founded on November 28, 1944. Then as now, membership was open to all property owners and residents of Ocean Park. With those civic minded pioneers as the foundation, the Ocean Park Civic League continues to be strong and assert its influence for the benefit of the community. Ocean Park stretches west along Shore Dr. from the Lesner Bridge to Pleasure House Creek.
OPCL is committed to working toward improvements in Ocean Park. We do our best to work for everyone in Ocean Park and we’d love your participation whether it’s once, once a month, once a week or everyday. Want to get involved and work with your neighbors to support our community? You can join a committee (see list of the chair folks below to volunteer) or answer a call to serve on the board when the time comes. Contact President Danny Murphy at president@opcl.org.
Thanks for getting involved now!
Board of Directors:
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President- Danny Murphy: “I am a native of Virginia Beach and longtime resident of Shore Drive. I graduated from both Virginia Wesleyan University and Old Dominion University. While I spent 20 years in corporate marketing, I’ve also owned several small businesses in the area including the Gateaux Bakery & Cafe. My goals for the civic league are to improve safety, quality of life, and reinforce the community spirit which binds our neighborhood.”
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Vice President- Andrea Lindemann: “As a military family, we have moved at least 14 times (does moving across the base count? then it’s more!) and lived in many great places around the world. Along the way, I have had various jobs: from a Russian Interpreter, English Language Program Director at the US Embassy in Moscow to a high school ESOL teacher! After 30 years of nomadic military life, we fell in love with Virginia Beach (where we had never been stationed) and settled down in Ocean Park because it is such a special, unique place and everything we hoped to find in a community-friendly, neighborly people and a beautiful beach! Nowadays I keep up the website and enjoy working the great people on the Social Committee!” Andrea also serves on the Bayfront Advisory Commission and as Vice President of the Virginia Beach Council of Civic Organizations.
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Secretary- Christy Allen
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Treasurer- Shane Abell : Shane moved to the area in 2017 for his final duty assignment. Upon retirement in 2019, he chose Ocean Park to settle down. “Since I had never lived anywhere for more than three years in my life, I was excited to put down roots and become more involved in my community.” You will see him on the beach everyday with his dogs. “Between the beach and my wonderful neighbors I love where I live. I hope to be a positive contributor to our community.
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Northside Rep- Natalie McIntyre: Natalie moved to Virginia Beach/Ocean Park in 2013, when the US Navy brought her and her husband to the area. Since moving here, their family has grown to include two children and two dogs. Originally from the Midwest, she loves living this close to the water. Natalie works as a healthcare analyst for CHKD. When she is not working she enjoys being at the beach, going for walks in the neighborhood and spending time with her wonderful OP neighbors.
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Southside Rep- Brian Snyder: Brian Snyder lives in Ocean Park with his wife Jenny, son Creighton and his new baby brother. You’ll see them outside year-round enjoying the beach, Pleasure House Point, and surrounding trails with their dog Kona. Brian is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a partner at Clark Nexsen, working as a structural engineer and project manager.
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At Large Rep-Jill Doczi: Jill Doczi writes and edits in public relations, marketing, and journalism, in addition to organization project management for special events. She has started and run two farmers’ markets to further her mission of supporting local food producers and the availability of fresh food to the community. She also invests heavily in the Ocean Park neighborhood and surrounding area by volunteering as the fireworks chairperson for about a decade, previously writing, designing, and editing the Ocean Park Echo newsletter for a decade, and participating in civic league activities. She truly appreciates the majority of her neighbors and how lucky we are to live in this magical neighborhood by the bay. She has resided in Virginia Beach-her home since the end of high school and has lived in two locations in Ocean Park since moving here just after college. She enjoys overseeing her postage stamp of property by the bay while defending her “urban farmstead” from squirrels.
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- At Large Rep: Sandra Dawe
Scholarship Committee Chair- Betty Dierstein: “I have been a resident of Virginia Beach since 1976 and a resident of Ocean Park since 2012. My five sons and their families all live in Virginia Beach, so I am a very lucky grandmother! I am a retired educator, and I enjoy being involved in my community and currently serve as Chair of the Scholarship Committee.
- At Large Rep: Sandra Dawe
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Social Media- Jenny Snyder: Jenny lives in Ocean Park with her husband Brian, and their two beach boys. You’ll see them out enjoying all the neighborhood has to offer – from the boardwalk at the Lesner Bridge, to nature strolls around Pleasure House Point, to supporting local businesses, and of course soaking up the sun at the bay. A Tidewater native and resident of the Shore Dr corridor for over 10 years, Jenny loves to spend time enjoying all the water has to offer. She attended JMU (Go Dukes!) for undergrad and VCU where she earned her masters degree in Public Health. Jenny currently works for the Defense Health Agency supporting strategic communications for a healthcare analytic team. She loves to meet other neighbors who are passionate about where they live!- Membership Committee Chair : Mike Dawe
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OPCL Committee Chairs
Adopt-a-Park Pleasure House Point: Mary Faust katytuesday@yahoo.com
Finance Committee: Blake Norris norrisblake1@outlook.com
Fireworks: Jill Doczi Jilldoczi@gmail.com
Government Affairs: Volunteer now!
Membership: Mike Dawe membership@opcl.org
Scholarship: Betty Dierstein bdierstein1@gmail.com
Social Committee: Run by a cabal of great folks. Meetings are last Monday of every month 6:00 pm at Taste on Shore Dr. upstairs. Info at communication@opcl.org
Social Media: co-chairs Brian Snyder basnyder@vt.edu and Jenny Snyder JLBarber2@gmail.com (Facebook/Instagram)
Website: Andrea Lindemann awrl95@icloud.com
If you would like to help out on one of the committees: Contact the committee chair listed above or at communication@opcl.org or president@opcl.org
- Finance—Shall monitor and manage the resources in the League’s accounts. The Committee Chair shall work with the Treasurer to ensure that the accounts are accurately reported on as part of the regular Treasurer’s Report. Contact Danny Murphy: president@opcl.org.
- Scholarship—Shall provide oversight of the award and distribution of annual scholarship funds. This includes following the guidelines established by the scholarship application. The Chair shall assemble and meet with a minimum of two additional committee members annually to review the applications and make the award determination. Contact: Betty Dierstein bdierstein1@gmail.com. Deadline for 2024 is March 31.
- Government Affairs—Shall be responsible for monitoring and reporting on the activities of Local, State, and Federal government entities that have jurisdiction over and relevance to Ocean Park.
- Membership—Shall be responsible for keeping the membership roll; collecting dues by cash, check, credit card or online transaction such as PayPal; and promoting new membership. contact: Mike Dawe membership@opcl.org
- Social–Shall be responsible for planning and coordinating social activities such as, meet and greet events before General Membership meetings, raffles, larger membership gatherings such as Block Parties, Spring Flings, Bake sales, Chili-Cookoffs, etc., for the benefit of Ocean Park residents. Collaborate with the Membership committee, to use these social activities as a new membership drive. Promote these activities through (but not limited to) web and social media outlets. Meetings are the last Monday of the month at 6:00 pm at Taste on Shore Dr. unless otherwise planned. Contact: communication@opcl.org.
- Fireworks- we especially need help distributing the April newsletter about the fireworks and the donation envelopes in June. Contact: jilldoczi@gmail.com and communication@opcl.org.
- Board Positions– are you interested? : OPCL.org/aboutopcl and more details in the bylaws . Contact: President Danny Murphy at president@opcl.org.
Ocean Park Civic League (OPCL) is registered with the IRS as a non-profit 501(c)(4).
Social Welfare Organizations
To be tax-exempt as a social welfare organization described in Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 501(c)(4), an organization must not be organized for profit and must be operated exclusively to promote social welfare.
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- Consult with your accountant about tax deduction questions.
Contributions to civic leagues or other section 501(c)(4) organizations generally are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.
Just some photos from Ocean Park.
Ocean Park Civic League 