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Diahann W. Lassus, CFP®, CPA/PFS
Diahann has focused on finance since 1970, when she handled
accounts payable for Blue Cross-Blue Shield of Florida while attending college
at night.
She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Florida State
University in 1976. In 1977,
Diahann earned an MBA from the University of North Florida. ExperienceAfter receiving her MBA, Diahann worked for Western Electric until 1984, fine-tuning her skills in assessment, analysis, supervision and planning. She also developed first applications for new products, including site selection, presentation to customers and process monitoring. Diahann worked for several AT&T organizations between 1977 and 1984, at one point overseeing annual sales of $140 million and managing 60 employees. In 1984, she was AT&T’s Field Operations Manager for the Special Project Olympic Operations in Los Angeles, creating in eight months the largest temporary telecommunications network in existence. Diahann taught Organizational Communication and Corporate Social Responsibility at the University of New Orleans during the 1978-82 academic years. Between 1987 and 1989, Diahann taught at Upsala College and the College of Saint Elizabeth. She is an accomplished author and lecturer. ·
In 1998, President Bill Clinton appointed Diahann to the
Retirement Savings Summit in Washington, D.C. In 1996, New Jersey Governor
Christine Whitman appointed her to the New Sources of Capital Board.
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Diahann served on the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards,
Board of Governors from 1994-97. · In 1995, Diahann was a delegate to the White House Conference on Small Business, for which she chaired the New Jersey Capital Formation Committee. ·
Diahann appears on CNBC and is often quoted in
national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, USA Today,
Kiplinger's Personal Finance and Tax Hotline. She
recently served on the Advisory Board for Doctor's Digest:
Financial Planning publication. Diahann authored a
chapter for Inside the Minds: Wealth Strategies for
Executives. · Diahann served on Corporate and Advisory Boards including, Charles Schwab Institutional, Women's Financial Network at Siebert and National Advisors Trust Company, FSB. She currently serves on the Rothman Institute of Entrepreneurial Studies Advisory Board, the International Institute of NJ Advisory Board, and the New Jersey Network (NJN) Professional Advisory Board. Honors Diahann was named one of Worth Magazine’s Top
Financial Advisors an unprecedented seven times, beginning in 1994 with the top-60
list and most recently the 2008 Top 250.
She was named to the 150 Top Advisors for Doctors by Medical
Economics. Diahann has been profiled in the Dow Jones
Investment Advisor Magazine, Diahann was named U.S. Small Business
Administration’s 1995 New Jersey Women in Business Advocate.
The following year, she was awarded the University of North Florida’s
Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award. In 2001, Diahann participated as a
speaker in Florida State University's Bruning Distinguished Speaker Series. In 2004 she was the inaugural speaker for the Female Entrepreneurship Series sponsored by the Rothman Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies. Diahann has been named to the following in Business News New Jersey and NJBIZ: The Business News 100, Twenty-six Intriguing Women of New Jersey Business, Top Women in Business, Women of Influence 2004, and Top Women in Business 2006. She was honored by Executive Women of NJ (EWNJ) in 2006 in their Salute to Policy Makers, an awards dinner honoring women of achievement who serve on corporate and government boards and commissions. Diahann was elected President of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) for 1998-99, and her service to that organization and the New Jersey Association of Women Business Owners has been recognized in the following ways: ·
1999 First Annual Abigail Adams Award ·
1996 NAWBO Member of the Year ·
1995-96 President’s Citation for Commitment ·
1994-95 President’s Service Award · 1993 Nancy C. Righter Service Award ·
1990 Business Woman of the Year Professional AffiliationsDiahann’s dedication to her profession and support of the
business community extends well beyond her office walls.
In addition to her affiliation with the National Association of Women
Business Owners (Past President, Treasurer) and the New Jersey Association of
Women Business Owners (State Board of Directors), Diahann is a member of the NJ
Society of CPAs, the AICPA and the Financial Planning Association.
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