A co-founder of WJW with her husband and partner, William Worn, Diane brings her wealth of experiences as both an entrepreneur and design professional, as well as her active commitment to issues surrounding housing, to the firm.
Diane’s professional life has its roots in the contract interiors industry, where she founded and led the Contract Division of Crate and Barrel as Director; then moved to found a new company, Design Access. At Design Access, Diane spent a decade building the business into a provider of interior solutions for corporations such as Marriott hotels, John Nuveen and Company, Sara Lee Corporation, Coopers and Lybrand, and AON Corporation, among others.
In addition to her role in marketing and client relations at WJW, Diane has continuously pursued her work on housing issues via contributions in leadership at the Illinois Housing Council, where she has been an active board member since 2010 and serves as Secretary on the Executive Committee. Diane helped to conceive and launch the IHC’s Emerging Leaders Network in 2021. Additionally, Diane has served as a member of the State of Illinois Housing Task Force since 2016. Offering resources, mentorship and career development opportunities to young leaders in the affordable housing space, the program aims to build capacity and expand diversity in future leadership in the industry.
Diane’s sense of service, design knowledge and entrepreneurial skills and spirit continue to shape WJW into a dynamic, forward-looking firm with a drive to change both the built environment and the larger community for the better.
