Diana is a licensed Real Estate Broker and has been practicing Real Estate since 1988. She is highly regarded in this community of professionals and has consulted clients in most every east bay community over the past 30+ years. She has been a member of the Berkeley Association of Realtors since 1989 and a past member of both the San Francisco MLS and San Mateo County MLS while also transacting in Marin, Sonoma & Mendocino counties. Her Real Estate career includes a multitude of experiences which enable her to best serve her referral-based clientele. Known for her skills in navigating and negotiating even the most complex transactions, other realtors have often referred their most difficult transactions to Diana with a history of great results.
Diana has experience with, and has consulted her clients in, all aspects of building, sales, and leasing properties. She has experience ranging from the most modest homes to exclusive estates. Her clients expect, and receive individualized service and expertise characterized by a flair for design. In 1994, Diana had built an AIA award winning home which has been featured in both local and international publications. This experience has given her a unique perspective on the housing process which she readily shares with her clients.
Diana holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration/Accounting and has completed graduate work in finance, economics, and marketing/design. Her first career was a project manager of financial and manufacturing computer installations for a multi-billion-dollar international company. She also had short careers in fashion (owned a dress company in New York City) and law office management (New York City & Berkeley, California). Real Estate continues to allow Diana the opportunity to use a multitude of her skills including skillful negotiating, intuitive thought, creative marketing, finance, and design, while allowing her to work in the community that she is so happy to call home.
Diana considers having raised three children as both her greatest life challenge and purest joy (now post-college aged). The children attended private schools, public schools, LD specialty schools and boarding schools, private and public colleges & junior college - giving Diana a unique perspective on school options in the East Bay and beyond. The family resides in the Claremont Hills...far from her mid-western roots and work ethic (Peoria, Il.).
Diana has also been active in numerous community and civic affairs, investing both time and financial resources in the community. Diana's passions include Education Reform, Homeless Advocacy (everyone needs a safe home!!!) and Animal Rescue - teaming with top professionals across the country to bring awareness and change. This has included co-chair of a National Dyslexia Week campaign with Dr. Sally Shaywitz of the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity and co-design of a technology assisted education delivery system with Dr. Penelope Dyer. Diana provided guidance to a new school in the Oakland Hills, Baywood Learning Center, an alternative learning environment for gifted children. She was a founding officer of the community organization North Hills Phoenix Association (as an Oakland/Berkeley Hills fire survivor). Diana founded a book collection at Brown University in 1990 (Gay & Lesbian Fiction - The Richard G. Katzoff Collection) and was a founding member of Berkeley's children’s' museum, Habitot.
More recently, Diana spent a full term as a board member of Youth Spirit Artworks - an organization providing life skills and leadership growth opportunities utilizing art for at-risk and homeless youth. In this capacity, Diana was asked and agreed to Chair the Innovation Housing Committee, during which time she led the design and organization of the first of its kind in the United States, Tiny House Village for At-Risk & Homeless Youth which has recently opened in Oakland.
In the time of Covid SIP, Diana started, "Coffee with Diana" via Facebook or Zoom: maintaining close connections to clients and friends during Shelter in Paradise. Her back yard also turned into an Edible Garden during this time, allowing her to connect to the land while also encouraging all to find joy in any space available. Eureka lemons, Meyer lemons, Pear, Pomegranate, Lime, Fig, and Avocado trees all have been planted, as well as blueberry bushes, strawberries, rhubarb, lettuces and lots of herbs and vegetables.
Diana is also an avid snow boarder, writer, loves international travel (both backpacking in third world countries and diplomatic travel), an active meditator and a gourmet food connoisseur/cook. She stays actively connected to the community as a long-term Claremont Pool & Tennis Club member and past Knarr owner/St. Francis Yacht Club member.
