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.
Last year, the Office of the State Auditor released an audit that showed the Disabled Persons Protection Commission (DPPC) had been consistently missing required state deadlines for abuse investigations. It also did not have a system for identifying persons with repeated allegations of reported abuse. These issues are unacceptable and must be rectified.
As State Auditor, I will ensure that my office follows up on this and other related audits to ensure that its recommendations are implemented effectively and our disabled community is protected. Alleged abusers must be identified and due diligence must be done to ensure a standard of health and safety for those with disabilities.