Local Writer Wins National Women’s Business Award  

Diane Sears named National Member of the Year during San Francisco NAWBO Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Maryalicia Johnson
(407) 448-2484
Who:
Diane Sears Captures National Association of Women Business Owners Award

What:
National Member of the Year Award

When:
Awarded on Sat., June 3, 2006

Where:
San Francisco Westin Union Square Hotel
Hosted the 2006 NAWBO Conference

June 13, 2006 (Orlando, FL) – The National Association of Women Business Owners awarded Orlando writer and publisher Diane Sears with the coveted National NAWBO Member of the Year title during its annual conference on Saturday, June 3, in San Francisco, CA. Sears won the award from the 8,000-member organization for her strong commitment to leadership and her work to advance and mentor women business owners.

Sears is the founder and president of DiVerse Media LLC, in Orlando, Florida, where she helps authors write and publish nonfiction books and is preparing to publish an online career-based magazine. She is the author of Tapping Your Inner Entrepreneur: Making the Move From Employee to Business Owner, a 2005 book commissioned by NAWBO.

A journalist for more than 20 years, Sears is the Travel and Health Editor for Florida Trend magazine, where she also covers Central Florida economic development news. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of Venture Woman, a national magazine for women business owners, and the former Workplace reporter for the Orlando Sentinel newspaper. Sears is an accomplished writer with news journalism experience as an assistant city editor, a government reporter, a copy editor and a copy desk chief for daily newspapers including the Orlando Sentinel and Florida Today. For more information, log onto the web site at www.di-verse-media.com.

Sears served as 2004-05 president of the Orlando Chapter of National Association of Women Business Owners. In the nomination, NAWBO noted that Sears has been active in the NAWBO Orlando chapter and on the national level since 1999. She has participated on the NAWBO Orlando board every year, serving as programs director, marketing director, president-elect, president, awards chair, and special events chair. Twice in 2005, Diane was nominated to serve on the national board. Locally, she is a board member of the Minority/Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance; a governing board member of the Orlando area Athena PowerLink program; and an advisory board member for The YaYa Network.