As the daughter of a single mother who had her at 17, Diana has always had to fight for the things that have mattered to her. A student of Massachusetts public schools, she went to Middlesex Community College. She later earned a financial scholarship to Wellesley College.After serving in the legislature as an aide, as Chief of Staff for the 12,000 member Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts, and years of work for local nonprofits and community organizations, she won her first race for public office in 2012. Diana served three terms as State Representative for the 14th Essex District. In 2018 was elected to the State Senate.
Massachusetts has many programs to assist minority entrepreneurs, which typically require the certification of a businesses as minority-owned. We need to determine how quickly, effectively, and equitably the state certifies these businesses, assists them, and helps them grow and succeed. Small businesses face so many problems, the last thing they need is long waiting periods for certification or access to opportunities like the Workforce Training Fund Program or Massachusetts Vacant Storefront Program for example.
In the State Senate, as Chairwoman of the Committee on Community Development and Small Business, I would often hear from minority small business owners who felt disenfranchised when it came to accessing opportunities through state agencies. I would hear that direct support was needed and that technical challenges prevented them from successfully submitting applications. Those challenges need to be identified and fixed.