Meet the Staff: Diane Lee

 Diane Lee is finishing up her 29^th year of work at the Garrett County Health Department and has served as the Public Information Officer for the last 20 years.

“I have always felt that what we do in the present builds on what we have done in the past,” Diane said. “Nothing is ever wasted because God can use it to build up our lives.”

After graduating from Northern High School, Diane attended Garrett College and earned an AA degree in Journalism. A two-years break from college allowed her to complete one year of Voluntary Service with her church mission office in Ohio and then work to replenish her college funds.

Returning to her studies at West Virginia University, she completed her BS degree in Journalism and then Diane worked as a newspaper reporter in West Virginia for a year. “I loved writing, but I definitely didn’t want to be the ‘hard news, ask the hard questions’ kind of reporter,” she said. “I preferred to do the feel-good stories or ones that taught the reader something new.”

After returning to Garrett County to prepare for her marriage, Diane worked for Micro Integration in Friendsville for a year. “Even though I worked as a receptionist at Micro, it was my first introduction to computers and fell in love!” Diane said. “At WVU we had to do all our articles on an electric typewriter because they were just putting in their first journalism computer lab when I graduated.”

“My next move was to work at Beiler Machine with my dad, brother, and uncle, and eventually my sister and husband,” Diane continued. “Mostly I worked in the office and helped set up a simple networked computer system, but when things were slow in the office, I ran a drill press in the shop!”

Her career at Garrett County Health Department began when she was laid off because the family business was sold. Hired in 1993 as a part-time secretary, she was soon pulled into some marketing work, and then became the coordinator for the Highway Safety Grant. 

“Several years later I was caught in what I call the ‘great layoff of 1997,’” Diane joked. “But then I was asked to come back in 1999 by Rodney Glotfelty when he became Health Officer. During my two-years break from the Health Department I worked at the local EMS office where I made lifelong contacts and friends who were great assets to me in my career at the Health Department over the years.”

In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of 911, new funding became available for emergency planning. The Bioterrorism funding required a Public Information Officer and Diane took on that role.

“My favorite part of my job has always been the networking,” she said. “In addition to interacting with staff in our office and the whole health department, I enjoy traveling to meet with my counterparts in other counties around the state, and even nationally when I go to conferences and trainings.”

“When COVID hit and we had to learn so much new information in such a short period of time, I felt like I was exactly where I was meant to be,” Diane said. “With all the drills and training I had participated in over the years, I truly felt like that specific job was exactly what I had trained for my whole life. I was proud of the volume and accuracy of the information our communications team was able to deliver to the people of Garrett County during a very scary and trying time!” 

Some people know Diane as the “cake lady” because of her many years of baking and decorating for friends and family. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, playing any kind of word games, attending Pittsburgh Pirates games, traveling, and participating in church and Bible studies.

Diane’s favorite quotes are: 

• “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.” ~Jeremiah 29:11
• “You can’t change how people treat you, or what they say about you. All you can do is change how you react to it.” ~Mahatma Gandhi