Women2Women - Spring 2017 - 9

Diane scaled back her volunteer work for a couple of years, but
that all shifted in 2010. Michael, Senior Vice President-Government
Relations and Chief Compliance Officer at Penske Truck Leasing, came
home from a breakfast meeting and told Diane he was approached
by Tammy White, president of the United Way of Berks County, and
Chris Pruitt, then chairman of the board at the United Way, who were
looking for a couple to chair the 2011 United Way fund-raising campaign.
Diane's reaction: "Surely you said no. How would we ever do that?"
Adding to her reluctance was her recent lack of community involvement. "You've got to be nuts. We don't know anybody. We don't have
the ability to do this," she recalls telling him.
Despite her concerns, they said yes. "It was 18 months of probably
the best time in our married life in terms of working together on a
project," Diane said. At the end of the successful campaign, Michael
enjoyed sharing the story of Diane's initial reticence and joked, "Now
I don't know how to get the genie back in the bottle."
Her experience as the United Way fundraising co-chair propelled
Diane into more community volunteer activities. She credits the United
Way staff for helping her to learn the ropes and introducing her to
numerous organizations and individuals across the county. During
the campaign, Diane spent a year just observing and learning about
the different organizations that the United Way works with and how
the entire organization operates. Or as Tammy White put it, "Diane
became a student of all things campaigning."
"That experience was my introduction to the Berks County community.
We lived here for 20 years and I was amazed at what I didn't know
about the different non-profits, about the needs in the community,
and about the employers," Diane said. There were times during visits
to companies that she would be sitting next to neighbors or someone
she recognized from church and made connections she otherwise
would not have known.
"It wasn't just about fund-raising. One of the greatest skills that
the United Way staff has is seeing in an individual their skills and
what they can offer to whatever the project may be. They do this on
a personal level and at a corporate level," Diane said. "They are great
at developing individuals' and corporations' potential in terms of
supporting the non-profit world in Berks County."
Tammy said that Diane took the time to get to know the United
Way staff and loan campaign specialists. "Diane wanted to see how
she could have the biggest impact."
Diane took many of the experiences and skills that she learned
while chairing the United Way campaign and offered them to other
organizations like SafeBerks, which provides a safe haven and ongoing
support system for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.
"We love Diane. She's fabulous!" said Mary Kay Bernosky, executive
director of SafeBerks, where Diane currently serves as secretary on
the Board of Directors and has worked on a number of committees.
Continued on page 10
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