Diane is passionate about reaching out to people with disabilities & creating a welcoming place for them to serve & lead within the body of Christ. This passion led her to create Access Ministry at McLean Bible Church in 1996 which serves children and adults with multiple disabilities. Diane served as founder and director of Access Ministry from 1996-2005.
Included in Access Ministry, Diane was able to start multiple other ministries that specifically targeted unmet needs like respite care programs, Breakaway on Saturdays and Breakout, on Friday nights. Signs of Life, a deaf community within McLean Bible, the Friendship Club a Bible study and social opportunity for adults with multiple disabilities, Soaring Over Seven Summer Day Camps for school age children with disabilities and their peers. Praise God all of these ministries are still a huge part of the Church almost 30 years later!
Diane hosted the first That All May Worship conference in 1997 with long time friends & mentors Joni Eareckson Tada and Ginny Thornburgh. The next year, the conference grew and became the Accessibility Summit to welcome Churches and non profits from across the country in an effort to network with one other in reaching the disability community for Christ. We met annually for years & now Key Ministry hosts an annual conference at McLean Bible partnering with Access Ministry!
Access Ministry led Diane into the development of a dream called Jill’s House, which provides camps and respite care for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, where Diane still serves in a variety of ways.
Diane is very active in the disability community in Charlottesville as she volunteers at the Kindness Cafe, The Arc of the Piedmont & Innisfree Village. She is working with several area Churches to bring the Night to Shine event to Charlottesville in 2026!
Diane has been married to Steve for 37 years and they have 5 amazing adult children! They absolutely love being grandparents to their 3 granddaughters, 1 grandson & looking forward to the next granddaughter arriving in 2026!