Diana H. Perez is a lifelong public servant, community advocate and trusted leader with 35 years of experience in federal public land and natural resource management, civil rights, and public policy. As a proud bilingual daughter of an immigrant, Diana brings both lived experience and professional expertise to the work of creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and healthy community.
Diana currently serves as a Vancouver City Councilmember and has played a critical role in advancing equity-focused policy, housing advocacy, and inclusive economic development. She serves on various committees and task forces, such as Ending Community Homelessness Organization, and Elder Justice Council. Diana is currently Vice Chair of the National League of Cities’ Race, Equity, and Leadership (REAL) Council. Diana is committed to ensuring that all residents in the City of Vancouver are heard, seen, and represented in local policy making.
Professionally, Diana worked as a National Special Emphasis Program Manager with the USDA Forest Service, where she has led landmark initiatives to embed equity, environmental justice, and tribal sovereignty into federal policy and agency culture. She has designed national and regional recruitment strategies to improve access to jobs in the federal workforce. Her roles have ranged from biologist and forest fisheries program manager to deputy monument manager at Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument to national scale recruiter.
Diana was appointed by Governor Inslee as Commissioner to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission before serving on City Council, the first Latina and woman of color to hold the role. She is founder of the Southwest Washington Equity Coalition and Southwest WA League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Council #47013, served as Board Director of the Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program and Board Director for Latino Leadership Northwest.
Diana holds a Master’s in Fisheries Science from Oregon State University, a Bachelor’s in Wildlife Management from Texas Tech University, and an Executive Women in Leadership certificate from Cornell University. She is bilingual in English and Spanish. All these skills have allowed her to contribute significantly in critical thinking, strategy, innovation, and collaboration.
Rooted in values of stewardship, community well-being, and collaborative leadership, Diana is working to build a society that is healthy, inclusive, and thriving for everyone.