Education:

• University of Miami School of Law, J.D.
• New Jersey Institute of Technology, M.S. in Environmental Science
• Lafayette College, B.A.

Admitted to Practice in:

• Commonwealth of Pennsylvania State Courts
• Eastern and Western Districts of Pennsylvania Federal Courts
• United States Supreme Court

Address: 5800 Route 378 #384, Center Valley, PA 18034

Phone: (484) 240-9277 | E-mail: diane@greatergoodlegal.com

Diane recently retired as Executive Director of New Bethany Ministries after almost nine years of service. New Bethany’s mission is to provide opportunities for a secure future for the homeless, hungry, poor and those suffering from mental illness.

Diane spent the first 20 years of her professional career as a criminal defense trial attorney. Diane served as a public defender in Bucks County, moving to the Defenders Association of Philadelphia handling both state and federal cases. Diane returned to the Lehigh Valley in 1987, where she specialized in both criminal and environmental law, primarily handling citizens’ environmental suits. Most recently she has provided legal services in connection with adoptions, housing, nonprofit real estate tax exemptions, zoning, unemployment and LGBTQ+ issues.

Her focus will be on representing individuals and families in landlord/tenant, fair housing, LGBTQ+, and other matters that adversely impact those most vulnerable in our community. She presently serves on the steering committee of the Regional Homeless Advisory Board and its Prevention Action Team. Diane co-chairs the Sacred Heart/St. Luke’s Housing Action Committee as well. She also sits on the Boards of HDC MidAtlantic, serving as its Vice-Chair, and HADC Allentown, both nonprofit affordable housing developers.

In addition to a law degree, Diane has a master’s degree in environmental science. She is well prepared to expand her area of practice to include environmental litigation. Diane was the director and co-founder of Lehigh Valley Land Recycling, an innovative and successful nonprofit dedicated to the redevelopment of brownfields and recipient of the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in its first year.

Diane also has substantial experience serving in and providing support services to local government. Diane served on Northampton County Council and the Northampton County Prison Advisory Board. She served as a consultant to local government, assisting with cooperative municipal efforts by offering technical and legal assistance and facilitation to all 62 municipalities in Northampton and Lehigh counties, as well as working with other counties and numerous individual municipalities including High Point, N.C., as part of a pilot program. Diane also was the Director of Community Development for Northampton County Development Corporation and was a co-founder of the Lehigh Valley Research Consortium, a collaborative program of LVAIC (Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges) that promotes faculty and student research partnerships with government, non-profit and for-profit entities to support the quality of life in the Lehigh Valley.

Diane has been a member and leader of many civic organizations, including serving as a past president and board member of the Morning Star Rotary, and on the boards of both local and statewide not-for-profits; and a presenter at both regional and statewide conferences. Diane also holds a certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida.

She spends her free time in the Northampton Community College’s Fab Lab making guitars and furniture when she is not enjoying her three daughters and seven grandchildren.

Diane believes that everyone matters and that each one of us can make a difference in the lives of those who may not be as fortunate as we are. It doesn’t take much. “Never underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” (Leo Buscaglia)

Diane says: “I had the good fortune as a teenager to hear Pete Seeger frequently, as his brother was my high school principal. His music, like that of many folk singers of the day, was inspirational. His song, “If I Had a Hammer,” serves as a reminder to me to continue to fight for equity and justice.”