SCAN's Snapshots of Hope
Diane Charles
SCAN Executive Director
Part of the SCAN family since 1998
In late 1998, active Alexandrian Diane Charles received a call from SCAN’s Executive Director at the time, Laura Walsh. Laura would be leaving to care for her new son, and had specifically thought of Diane to take on the opportunity of leading SCAN into the new millennium.
Diane had most recently worked as director of the Alexandria Volunteer Bureau and assistant to Alexandria Mayor Kerry J. Donley in the late 1990s, and prior to that had worked at both the American Society for Training and Development and the American Diabetes Association.
Today, Diane has been leading SCAN for more than nine years. Known by staff and board members as an innovative and inspirational leader, she is both a trusted voice and a highly respected leader in the Northern Virginia nonprofit community and beyond.
When Diane accepted the invitation to join SCAN—then only three staff members large—the organization included the three main programs that still exist today: the CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) Program, Parent Education Program and Public Education Program. But not even Diane could have imagined how these programs would evolve and grow in the coming years.
Under Diane’s leadership, the Alexandria CASA Program became the Alexandria/Arlington CASA Program, serving a new community of abused and neglected children in the court system. This opportunity presented the challenge of getting to know the community and services in Arlington, and teaching the community about SCAN. With Diane’s guidance, the CASA Program was able to successfully begin this endeavor. CASA staff and volunteers have also been able to develop the program’s strongest relationship ever with Alexandria’s Department of Social Services (DSS), a reflection of both the program’s maturity and the respect it has earned in the community.
The Parent Education Program also grew to include both a larger number of classes, support groups and playgroups and offer a higher quality of programming. Diane’s development of an energetic, committed and diverse staff has resulted in a wide variety of program improvements over the years, including more Spanish-language services, highly effective collaborative efforts, and a more active and engaged volunteer base. The result, in her own words, is “the most functional, service-providing program it has ever been.”
The Public Education Program has made enormous progress since Diane’s arrival, going beyond the basic brochure and radio interview to comprehensive brand development, a revamped website, and targeted media outreach. New features of the program include an e-newsletter and coordinated public education campaign materials, all in an effort to raise awareness of child abuse and neglect and provide messages of positive support for parents in the essence of true prevention. Under Diane’s leadership four years ago, SCAN launched the Allies in Prevention Coalition to engage the many different child welfare agencies, family-serving organizations and prevention advocates across the region to more effectively and comprehensively conduct public education campaigns.
One of the most important achievements under Diane’s guidance was the addition of a Director of Development. As SCAN’s programs grew stronger, Diane realized the need for documenting, promoting and generating tangible returns from these accomplishments. She hired Sonia Quinonez, who, as Diane notes, “has been an incredible resource, assuring that we can continue—and in many cases grow—our programs by reporting our successes, taking our stories to funders and leveraging our growth to ensure stability.”
Diane has guided SCAN’s growth and impact on all fronts, increasing staff from 3 to 11 and the budget from $235,000 to over half a million dollars. But beyond the numbers of growth lies the real impact—the number of children and families touched by SCAN every day.
Perhaps that is what makes Diane’s story with SCAN so meaningful. Ask any staff member what they value most about working with the organization and two things will certainly top their list: making a real difference in the lives of children and families, and having the opportunity to work with a real leader like Diane.
When asked about the highlights she recalls over the past eight years, Diane mentions some of SCAN’s honors during that time, including the Hispanic Committee of Virginia’s Community Partner Award in 2002, selection by the Catalogue for Philanthropy in 2005, and the Community Trustee Award at the 2007 Northern Virginia Leadership Awards.
Diane’s own highlights are considered some of SCAN’s greatest moments as well: her selection as Nonprofit Leader of the Year at the Alexandria Business Philanthropy Summit in 2007, as well as being selected to participate in the charter class of the Nonprofit Roundtable Fellows, a group of leading nonprofit executives emerging as a force to impact important issues affecting the region. Diane has served in many leadership roles—bringing SCAN’s name and reputation into larger community circles—including chair of the Human Services Coalition of Northern Virginia, chair of the Alexandria FEMA Board, advisory member of the Alexandria Police Foundation, and previously a member of the Alexandria Early Childhood Commission and advisory council member of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.
Today, as SCAN celebrates its 20th anniversary, Diane’s own professional story reflects the growth SCAN has seen during that same time. As Diane became a trusted local leader, sought out for her thoughtful approach, wealth of knowledge and trusted connections within the community, SCAN became a leader in its own right, emerging as an important organization making an indelible impact on the community through collaborations, effective programs and strategic growth.
Diane’s ability to create a vision and engage others to approach new challenges with hope and optimism is one of the most significant reasons SCAN has so much to celebrate in its 20th year, and is also why SCAN looks forward to what it will accomplish in the next 20 years.