Diane has been
working on establishing these projects
since the early 1990's. Building a
personal foundation by joining boards,
committees and educating herself to run
these programs. Diane was employed by the
Washington State Department of Natural
Resources from 1988 to 1999 and in her
nine year tenure as an office manager for
Engineering Division she was the division
manager’s administrative assistant;
tracked the state’s $7 million forest
roads budget through two biennia; and
managed the division’s support unit,
overseeing all personnel, payroll,
accounts payable, and administrative
issues. Her community involvement
includes working with the schools, the
police, and at-risk and low income youths
and their families, including:
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A
professional member of Future
Business Leaders of American (FBLA),
including conference presenter,
competition judge and chaperon;
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An on-site
supervisor for Community Youth
Services' JTPA on-the-job
training program since 1989;
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A member
of Olympic Counseling/TAMARC’s
Board of Directors, a drug and
alcohol program for adults and
youths in Pierce, Thurston and
Mason Counties from 1994- 2000;
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The
founder, organizer and host of a
set of four student & new
employee field trips to the DNR,
showing off the agency’s
career and entry level job
opportunities;
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1995-97
member of the Site Team" at
Puget Sound High School, North
Thurston School District's
alternative high school;
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1995-97
member of North Thurston School
District’s Citizens Curriculum
Advisory Committee;
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A member
of the State’s Emergency
Response Wildland Fire Team Four
from 1989-1997;
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A chaperon
at many of Puget Sound High
School dances since 1994, and
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Puget
Sound High School’s invited
Guest Speaker at their 1996 and
1998 Graduation Commencement
Ceremonies. |
She is the
mother of four boys - 30, 28, 21 &
18, a licensed foster parent, a defensive
driving instructor and former Sunday
School teacher. And, maybe most important
to this project, when she became a mother
at 16 years of age, she lived in a place
very similar to The Moms’ House. She,
too, was an at-risk teenager.
What Diane’s
done is infiltrate, "If you can’t
beat ‘em, join ‘em," becoming a
friend and mentor to many local youth.
"Listen, provide guidance, listen
some more. They just need someone who
really cares, and will be there for them,
no matter what." That’s Diane!
Mentor - Protect -
Nurture
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