Diane Stevens
Board Member, PR and Marketing Director
Diane Stevens has been one of the pillars of Furry Friends since 2014 when she retired from her job in the Printing and Publishing industry.
Her love for animals brought her to Furry Friends where she quickly jumped into performing a number of tasks. She started at the adoption center that Furry Friends once had and she also became the photographer, graphic designer, publicist, marketing person, videographer and more. She soon joined the Executive Board and also became the lead for the annual auction. In those early days she put in 30 to 40 hours a week of volunteer service to the kitties.
Fast forward to 2024 and Diane is still very much involved in the organization. Here are some of the tasks she takes care of:
· Diane has been an Executive Board member and the PR and Marketing person for Furry Friends
· She still is involved in photography and will document things going on around the organization and still occasionally photographs the cats.
· She creates the monthly volunteer newsletter, the public newsletter and special newsletters that are emailed to volunteers and supporters.
· She no longer is the fall auction lead but is still heavily involved in the auction.
· Creates news releases and is the contact with the media
· Oversees the Furry Friends Furever Adoption Stories, Volunteer Spotlights and Cat Tale Blog.
· Weekly volunteer hours are down to about 10 to 20 a week
Tell us about other hobbies or interests that you have? I played ice hockey until I turned 60 years old. For many years I played on a men’s team. I enjoy gardening and hiking for my activity, and you can often find me in the gym. I am an avid nature photographer, and you can often see me with a camera slung around my neck.
I hold a bachelor’s degree in art and had my own art business for several years. Currently I just create things for fun. I paint art quality rocks as a fundraiser for Furry Friends. All money from these gems goes to the kitties.
My professional musician husband Mickey and I had a musical variety show for many years. I would change into assorted costumes and assume different personalities. We both played our guitars and sang. We used wireless equipment so we were free to run around the audience or climb on tables dancing and being wild.
We asked Diane a few questions
Why do you volunteer? My life has been blessed in many ways and I am now in a position to give back to society. I have a passion for animals and it is up to us humans to help them out. I love horses and cats and made the decision to focus on a local cat rescue. There are so many cats out there living terrible lives. And so many people that are in need of someone helping with their cats. Furry Friends is always receiving distress calls from people with a cat problem. Such as an elderly person having to go into assisted living and they cannot take the cat with them, or a person that has to move into a place that does not take cats or the mom cat that shows up at your back door with a litter of kittens etc. Payment for me comes in the form of knowing that I am making the world a better and safer place for kitties that wouldn’t have a fighting chance otherwise.
Do you also volunteer for other organizations? If so, what are they and what do you do? Yes, I am a church musician for St John Lutheran Church in Vancouver, WA. I play guitar and sing every Sunday for the service. I also am the church photographer for certain events and the publicist for the Longest Night Service.
What is your favorite part about volunteering for Furry Friends? Being around the kitties and helping them out is a highlight. Also my fellow volunteers are great, giving, loving people. It is such a pleasure to be around them and work on a common cause. I also love using all my creative and business skills for something I am passionate about.
Do you have any pets at home? Yes two cats that were rescued. Benny and Emma are amazing and I love them so much. My husband Mickey and I have so much fun with our fur babies
