Candidate for
Council Member; Town of Los Gatos

About Diane McNutt

A Santa Clara Valley native, Diane is celebrating her 34th year as a resident of Los Gatos, although her ties to the community are even longer. Her great aunt and uncle, Maude and C.W. Presher, were long-time Forrest Avenue residents of Los Gatos. Uncle Charlie was well known in the Los Gatos community in the 1940s as a popular barber and gardener who provided local stores with his extra produce and honey. After Uncle Charlie passed away, Aunt Maude moved to a small home on Bean Avenue.

Education Diane earned a B.A. in journalism and an M.S. in mass communications from San Jose State University.

Professional Experience Early in her career, Diane worked as a reporter for a daily newspaper, a music industry magazine, and in public relations and marketing positions at San Jose State University.

She started her own business in 1982 and as principal of McNutt & Company, Inc. has created and managed regional and national public relations programs for all types of businesses and organizations. She has won several awards for her work, including the prestigious `Best of the Silver Anvils" from the Public Relations Society of America, the highest national award in the PR industry.

For the past few years, Diane has focused on public education programs for municipalities and public agencies, community relations strategies for Silicon Valley corporations, and marketing campaigns for nonprofit organizations.

In 1985, she founded the Certificate in Marketing Communications Program at San Jose State University and until 2002 taught several professional development seminars as an adjunct faculty member.

She is a member of several professional associations and past president of the South Bay Public Relations Roundtable and the Santa Clara Valley chapter of Women In Communications, Inc.

Community Involvement

• Mayor of Los Gatos since November, 2005

• Elected to Los Gatos Town Council in November, 2002

• Character Education Task Force, Los Gatos Union School District

• Los Gatos Katrina Consortium Steering Committee

• Founder of the Leadership Los Gatos program

• Past Chair, annual July 4th celebration in Los Gatos

• Past President, Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce

• Board of Directors, West Valley Sanitation District

• Past Chair, Los Gatos Museum Commission

• Steering Committee, 1990 campaign to add funding for public schools in Los Gatos

• Established Los Gatos Information Center in the downtown Chamber of Commerce office

• Co-founder of Screen on the Green, the annual free film in Oak Meadow Park for Los Gatos families

• Volunteer in public schools, church, community organizations