Dianne Deras Kirkwood is proudly home grown in this beautiful city and has a passion for helping others and connecting with people. Born and raised in Santa Barbara, Dianne has a wide network of family and friends that are her village.

She was a single mother to her only child, Daniel, who passed away in 2007. Losing Daniel was by far the most difficult loss in her life. She relied on her village to walk and to continue walking with her on her path of grief and healing. During this time, Dianne sought support from local agencies... grief therapy at Hospice of Santa Barbara and an outstanding therapist at Family Service Agency. Being able to rely on local services inspired Dianne to give back to her community, both honoring her son’s memory and continuing her father’s spirit of giving back through acts of service.

Six months after her son’s passing, Dianne was blessed with her grandson’s birth. Zachary Valentine is her pride and joy. Dianne and her husband, Ben, have been raising Zac since birth. She finds joy in raising two generations in Santa Barbara.

In 2015 Dianne spoke at the Santa Barbara Board of Supervisors meeting to encourage Santa Barbara County to find ways to safely dispose of unwanted or unused medications. Since then, Santa Barbara has installed drug disposal boxes locally and in many pharmacies.

By day Dianne is a Senior Underwriting Manager at LIA Administrators and Insurance Services. She is a Property, Casualty & Life Insurance Producer licensed in California. She has worked for the past 32 years advising clients how to protect their professional and business interests. Her passion and dedication to her job has enabled her to continue to thrive in this community.

Dianne is excited and honored to be on The Board of Directors for the Starfish Connection. TSC exemplifies what Santa Barbara is all about - people helping people. “I am ready to give back to my village any way that I can. I love to live and live to love!”