Diane made her start in the community as a VISTA volunteer, working as a community organizer for three years (1979 – 1982) for the Rhode Island based Coalition for Consumer Justice. Prior to becoming its Executive Director, Diane was also a tenants’ rights organizer for one year (1983 – 1984) at the Massachusetts Tenants Organization.
In a volunteer capacity, she currently serves as a member of the Advisory Board of the Center to Support Immigrant Organizing . From 2002 – 2007, she served as a member of the Steering Committee of the Ricanne Hadrian Initiative for Community Organizing, a project of the Massachusetts Association of Community Development Corporations and the Boston office of the Local Initiative Support Corporation.