Diane Strickler spoke to the club as the first of out Meet Our Member serious, designed to “re-introduce” Rotarians who have been members over 20 years.
Diane was born and raised in Toronto, where she worked as a nurse. She and Ron moved to St. Louis, where Ron started a residency program, and lived there for 20 years, raising three children. While there, she started a pre- school, that is still operating, and “before school” language classes, that were eventually integrated into the school system.
The Stricklers moved to Grosse Pointe when Ron became the head of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Henry Ford Hospital. Diane began working toward a Master of Social Work degree in St. Louis, and finished up at U of M in 1998.
The combination of nursing and social work led Diane to focus on prevention, leading to the formation of the Family Center in 2000. Its purpose is to provide resources and help families navigate life’s social, emotional, and physical challenges. Over the last 23 years, the organization has helped to remove the stigma associated with issues like substance abuse and mental health. www.familycenterweb.org.
Diane loves to cook and travel and continues to volunteer through her church and Rotary. She invites everyone to visit the garden she helped champion at GP Congregational Church when the weather is nicer.