Candidate for
Board Member; Marin Community College District

A professional, Marin county resident, mother and community leader for 27 years. Diana has lived in Marin County since 1982; she is married to Elias Olson and has a daughter and son from her first marriage and a stepson from her second marriage. She has 5 grandchildren.

Diana's stepson took classes at the College of Marin and went on to graduate from USC film school in spite of having learning disabilities. Her daughter, who graduated from UCLA, took classes at COM in the summer to complete required courses that were full at the university. Both now work in the entertainment industry.

Diana has had to overcome many obstacles on the road to her successful career as a nonprofit executive director of organizations that give people the skills and support they need to succeed. As a single mom with young children, she had to leave behind her coursework toward a degree in counseling to provide for her children. In the course of just a year, she advanced from being an assistant analyst to the Deputy Drug Program Administrator position.

Serving the community:

Over the years, Diana has been active on many boards and commissions in Marin, particularly those dealing with families and the problems associated with drug and alcohol abuse. She has directed non-profits for 30 years addressing a variety of human needs including alcohol and other drug problem treatment, prevention, and public policy; support services for low-income, elderly, and minority communities; ex-offender re-entry services; mental health services, and services for people with developmental disabilities.

Her current position is as executive director of Parca an organization that serves people with developmental disabilities and their families.

For 3 years, Diana was Executive Director of the Novato Human Needs Center and from 1994 to 2000, she served as executive director of the Marin Institute (one of the major projects of the Buck Trust). While at the Marin Institute, Diana served as an expert quoted in national periodicals and on various televised news and radio programs regarding alcohol policy. She continues to work as a consultant nationally on alcohol policy and other public health policies.

She currently chairs Thrive, The Alliance of Nonprofits for San Mateo County and is the Founding President of West Bay Housing Development Corporation (housing for people with special needs). Last year she was elected to the Executive Board of the American Public Health Association.

Ready to serve... ready to lead:

Diana is a graduate of the Emerge Democratic Women's training program in 2007. She follows closely local politics and the developments in higher education in the county.

Diana lives in Mill Valley with her husband Elias, and enjoys hiking, reading, playing with her grandkids and jewelry design.