Then.

Diana Arévalo didn’t come from power—she came from purpose.

Raised in San Antonio by two public school teachers, she was taught early that service isn’t optional—it’s a responsibility. No shortcuts. No safety nets. Just hard work, community, and the belief that you show up for people.

She carried that mindset into every opportunity she earned—not given. From the San Antonio City Council to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, from the United States Senate in the Office of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy to the U.S. Department of Education’s White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, and ultimately to the White House Office of Public Engagement, Diana learned how decisions are made—and more importantly, who they impact.

She strengthened that foundation as a Fellow with the United Leaders Institute for Political Service at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, and as a graduate of the Women’s Campaign School at Yale University—an experience that sharpened her ability to lead, run, and win in spaces where people like her were often overlooked. Years later, she would come full circle—serving as a mentor for the LBJ Women’s Campaign School at The University of Texas at Austin, helping guide the next generation of women leaders into those same rooms.

She wasn’t there by accident. She got there by doing whatever it took—including selling barbecue plates to fund her early opportunities and investing in her own path when no one else could.

Those early experiences weren’t just resume lines—they were a front-row seat to power. And they made one thing clear: too many people like her family weren’t in the room.

But Diana didn’t just study systems—she embedded herself in community. She showed up in classrooms, boardrooms, and neighborhoods across San Antonio. From advising leaders within LULAC Texas to serving on the San Antonio Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women, the City of San Antonio Convention and Visitors Commission, the VIA Metropolitan Transit Citizens Advisory Council, and the Environmental Health Oversight Committee for CPS Energy, she put in the work locally long before holding office.

She helped shape initiatives like the City’s Recycling and Resource Recovery Plan, served on the Government Affairs Committee for the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and mentored students through Communities in Schools and Junior Achievement of South Texas—because for her, leadership doesn’t start in elected office. It starts in the community.

At the same time, she was building the foundation to lead. A graduate of the University of Texas at San Antonio with a B.B.A in Management and an M.B.A. from Our Lady of the Lake University, Diana combined education with action—earning her MBA while continuing to invest in leadership development at every level.

So she changed that.

In 2016, Diana ran for the Texas House of Representatives—not backed by wealth or political insiders, but by community. Friends. Neighbors. People who believed in her because she believed in them. And she won.

At the Capitol, she got to work. She passed legislation expanding access to school funding, took on issues like healthcare, public safety, and transparency, and earned recognition as “Freshman of the Year” by the Legislative Study Group Caucus and a “Patient Protector” Award from the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists. She also served on the Healthcare Committee for the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.

But what defined her most wasn’t the titles—it was the choices. Choosing people over politics. Choosing family when it mattered most. Choosing to stand firm, even when it came at a cost.

Because for Diana, public service has never been about power.
It’s always been about people.

Now.

Today, Diana Arévalo is on the frontlines of policy fights that matter.

As Managing Director of Advocacy at the The ALS Association, she leads state and federal advocacy efforts across more than a dozen states—driving legislation, securing appropriations, building coalitions, and pushing systems to work better for the people they were meant to serve.

She’s not just in the room—she’s moving the conversation.

Diana leads complex, multi-state policy strategies aimed at one goal: making ALS a livable disease by 2030. She works directly with state legislators, insurance regulators, Medicaid agencies, and healthcare leaders to expand access to care—including palliative services, home- and community-based care, telehealth, and treatment affordability.

Her work delivers results.

In Texas, she helped lead the passage of Medigap reform through the Chris Larkin ALS Act—expanding access to critical coverage for people living with ALS. In Nevada, she advanced similar Medigap protections. In Oklahoma, she helped pass the Barbara Weber ALS grant, creating direct support for patients and families. In Alabama, she secured state appropriations funding dedicated to ALS care and services. Across states like Louisiana and beyond, she continues to build momentum for policies that put patients first.

Behind every win is strategy.

Diana develops and executes legislative campaigns from the ground up—analyzing policy, drafting testimony, aligning stakeholders, and coordinating advocacy efforts at every stage of the process. She builds and leads cross-disease coalitions that bring together patients, providers, and national organizations to tackle shared challenges—from Medigap access to biomarker testing, rare disease coordination, and caregiver support.

She collaborates with coalitions across the country, including the Texas Medigap Coalition, Nevada Medigap Coalition, National Medigap Coalition, Care 4 Mississippi Coalition, Arizona Chronic Care Together, and multiple state Rare Disease and Biomarker coalitions—creating unified voices strong enough to move policy.

She also represents this work on national stages, engaging with organizations like NAIC, NCOIL, and NCSL to shape broader conversations around healthcare access, affordability, and equity.

And her impact doesn’t stop there.

Outside of her work at the The ALS Association, Diana authored and secured a $1.475 million Thriving Communities grant for Eagle Pass SAFE’s Community Transformation Alliance—bringing critical investments in health equity to communities along the Texas border and building pathways for long-term community-driven change.

And while she’s operating at the highest levels of policy, she never loses sight of who this work is for.

Diana brings urgency, discipline, and a deep understanding of how change actually happens—because she knows the cost of inaction isn’t political. It’s personal.

She has built alliances across states, across sectors, and across political lines—because results don’t come from talking. They come from doing.

And just as others once opened doors for her, she’s now doing the same—mentoring women leaders and helping the next generation step into rooms they belong in.

For Diana, this work isn’t theoretical.
It’s personal.

Next.