Congratulations on your promotion Diana! Meet our new Resident Services Manager in the Southwest who is making a difference in the lives of residents each and every day!

It is time to celebrate with Diana as she takes on a new role as Resident Services Manager in the Southwest!

Diana joined Mercy Housing in 2017 as a Resident Services Coordinator (RSC) to develop and implement a variety of resident programs at Mercy Housing’s Casa de Merced and El Mirage senior communities in Arizona. During her time as a RSC, Diana leveraged her non-profit experience working with underserved populations to help her better understand the barriers and challenges many seniors face. From coordinating an annual utility assistance event to developing a new resident volunteer program, Diana brought new and engaging ways to keep Mercy Housing seniors healthy and active in their community.

Fostering relationships with Mercy Housing staff and residents is one of Diana’s favorite parts of her job. As Resident Services Manager, Diana is excited to continue to nurture those relationships, as well as build many new ones, as she oversees 13 different Mercy Housing communities in Arizona, ensuring all residents have opportunities to learn, grow, and age with dignity and respect.

Shelly, Regional Resident Services Director and Mercy Housing employee of 18 years, is thrilled to have Diana in this new role.

“Diana has been proactive and learning fast, wanting to see positive changes for Arizona Resident Services! She has a great team supporting her, and I’m excited to see what the future of Resident Services will look like with Diana at the helm in Arizona,” said Shelly.

Diana attributes her work success to overcoming many of her own personal challenges – all of which play an integral role in how she approaches relationships and her workday.

At the young age of nine, Diana immigrated to the United States from Mexico City. The youngest of three siblings, she relied heavily on the support of her small family to navigate the struggles of being in a new country and learning a new language. The expectation to learn and adapt quickly to her surroundings was great and extremely difficult for Diana. Being a woman of color and balancing the expectations of both her Mexican culture and learned culture in the U.S. has also been a huge challenge that Diana continues to process.

These personal experiences emphasized the importance of having a strong foundation and helps fuel Diana’s passion for helping others.

“We all need a helping hand at one point or another, and it is often in the darkest moments that we get the opportunity to be there for each other so that no one ever feels as if they are going through life alone,” said Diana.

With a tremendous amount of determination and sacrifice, Diana accomplished one of her biggest goals. As a single mother, Diana raised her daughter while earning an associate degree in arts and a certificate in human resources – making her the first member of her family to earn a degree! Now, Diana is proud to share that both her 22-year-old daughter and niece are recent college graduates.

“I value education not because of a piece of paper, but because it demonstrates your determination to reach your goals,” said Diana.

In addition to her new role as Resident Services Manager, Diana looks forward to learning new things that will help her grow in all aspects of her life. Next on the list, Diana wants to complete her bachelor’s degree in social work or human resources, something she is very passionate about.

We are happy to share Diana’s passion and commitment, and excited to watch her spread her wings in Arizona! Congratulations!