Conversations with Bonnie Veleba

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bonnie Veleba.

Hi Bonnie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey began during my senior year of high school when I had the opportunity to coach Special Olympics swimming. That experience was a true turning point; it was exactly when I realized I wanted to pursue a career in Therapeutic Recreation. I went on to attend Ohio University, where I gained experience working at a home for at-risk youth during my college years. For my senior internship, I worked at Health Hill Hospital in the Recreation Department, providing activities for terminally ill children and children needing long-term medical care. These deeply moving experience solidified that I had made the right choice. I fell in love with helping a wide variety of individuals, and I always found comfort in knowing that the field of recreation therapy is so vast—if I ever felt I wasn’t the perfect fit for one specific group of individuals , I could always pivot to another area of care.

After earning both my undergraduate and master’s degrees, I was offered a part-time position as the Special Olympics Coordinator at the Geauga County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Young, eager, and driven, I enthusiastically took the role while continuing my search for full-time employment, confident that I had the energy and passion to balance both.

The position turned into a full time position as a Recreation Director at Geauga County DD. I was so thrilled and I knew I found my niche. I have been doing it for 36 years.

There are so many people that have gotten me where I am today. My family is number one. They all supported me and enjoyed being apart of my job. My late husband loved being around the individuals that I brought home and he often came on outings with me and become friends with them all. All of the individuals have watched my son grow the last 21 years. My son, Travis came with me to so many activities and events and helped coach all the sports. Since Travis was at so some many of the events, it was reciprocated by the individuals coming to his sporting events for many years. As a mom it makes me very proud that my son developed such compassion and understanding for individuals with developmental disabilities and all people that may need a little extra help.

My mom coached bowling for Special Olympics and she and my dad always welcomed any one I worked with into their home. My brother coached track and brings his family to events that I host. My sister and her family have always lived out of town, but would let me bring groups to come and vacation wherever they lived and they joined us on our adventures. When they came in to town they would attend events that I had going on as well. My nieces and nephews are always asking about “my friends”. One niece actually let a group I took to Cincinnati help her move into her dorm her first year into college.

My friends have been incredibly supportive throughout all these years. They have constantly volunteered for so many different events and outings, always making sure that everyone they came in contact with knew they had a brand-new friend.

My coworkers and coaches whom I am proud to call my friends, have given me the daily support, shared laughs, and dedication that have made these 36 years so incredibly rewarding. There are too many on the list to name individually. One that is in the forefront is Michelle Avram, we worked side by side for more than 25 years. We were each others sounding board and made sure every individual was shining and being the best person they could be.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Obviously, there are obstacles and challenges in any job, but the main challenges in this field are deeply emotional. It is incredibly difficult when individuals you have built close relationships with, pass away. I work with the families as well and when a family member passes away it is just as difficult.

On a day-to-day level, ensuring that you are always providing exactly what each person needs can be complex. For example, when working with non-verbal individuals, it takes patience and insight to understand their communication and effectively explain things to them. Additionally, learning how to de-escalate behavioral challenges and balancing the unique, diverse needs of so many different individuals requires constant adaptability. When meeting those needs is what makes the work so meaningful.

Another challenge is it is not Monday- Friday 9-5, you work evening and weekends and sometimes more than 40 hours a week. This does take you away from family and friends on certain occasions.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work for The Metzenbaum Foundation which has a partnership with The Geauga County Board of Developmental Disabilities.

There are so many moving parts to my job, and that is exactly why I love it—no two days are ever the same! As the Recreation Director, I have coordinated the Geauga Special Olympics. This involves managing the athletic aspect of the job: setting up practice schedules, securing venues, scheduling competitive games and tournaments against other county organizations, and ensuring everyone is aligned with the rules. I also act as the central hub of communication, keeping our athletes, parents, and providers constantly updated and organized.

Beyond sports, I am proud to serve as an Advisor for our local Aktion Club alongside Bart Alcorn and Kit McKinney. Bart and I started working together many years ago through the Special Olympics, which eventually led us to start our local Aktion Club.

Bart belongs to the West Geauga Kiwanis Club, which proudly sponsors our organization. Over the years, Bart has taught me so much about running a service organization, but more importantly, he has been a truly great friend whom I can always rely on for so many things. It is a fantastic service organization designed specifically for adults living with disabilities. In this role, we help empower our members to develop vital leadership and decision-making skills. Together, we plan meaningful community service projects, organize fundraisers, and give back to the local community. It provides our members with a wonderful sense of purpose, inclusion, and fellowship, allowing them to make a positive impact.

To add a bit of a twist, I also get to step in as the DJ for our community dances on select Fridays throughout the year! Bringing people together through music is such a joy,

We also belong to a wonderful organization called Lasagna Love. Once a month, a different group of our individuals gets together to bake a fresh lasagna for a local family who needs a little extra love and support that month. It allows our individuals to step into the role of the caregiver—delivering comfort, connecting with neighbors, and another way of giving back to their community

I love taking our groups out on adventures with their peers, exploring local events and discovering hidden gems in the area. Balancing all of these unique programs certainly requires a lot of coordination, but seeing the pure joy it brings to the individuals and watching them form new friendships has been absolutely amazing. I truly love every single minute of my job.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Stop and listen. Don’t just hear what people are saying, but truly understand what they mean, so you can guide them on their journey.

Everyone has a story, and it changes as time goes on—just like everyone else in this world. We need to make sure we embrace the changes in people’s lives as they age, love them for who they are, who they were and who they are becoming. That is how we help all individuals in our lives be the best person they can be.

Patience Patience Patience. Sometimes what we can do very quickly takes some people more time. But with patience they get the task done and they take pride in what they can do.

Kindness, laughter and smiles are free,

These are just a few of the lessons I have learned, they have helped me at work and in my life outside of work.