Diana Merdian's background is in Community Systems, with a Master's in Education specializing in Family and Community Services. Diana has been on the local Early Childhood Collaboration (Sauk Valley STARS) since 2014. She served as a Level 5 Family Support Specialist for the Regional Office of Education #47 (ROE)in Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside Counties in rural Illinois for three years at a local Preschool For All program. Currently, she is the Family Education and Support Services Program Coordinator for the Nexus Program, Community/Data Systems Manager for the IRIS referral system within the community, and an Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant with the Regional Office of Education. In addition, she has partnered with programs and projects such as IARSS (Illinois Association for Regional Superintendents), GOECD (Governor’s Office of Early Childhood), Birth to Five Illinois, and Illinois Action for Children. Diana is a wife and has three children (high school, middle school, and preschool). She has been an active parent within her local Parents As Teachers Home Visiting program for three years. In her spare time in 2023, she has decided to run for Mayor of her hometown with a platform of supporting families, Early Childhood Education, and allowing young Hispanic women to see themselves within leadership positions.