Meet Diana Lam

Rosemead gave Diana Lam her start. Now she's ready to build Rosemead's next chapter.

For Diana Lam, Rosemead is more than where she was raised—it's the community that made her story possible.

Diana’s parents came to the United States after years as refugees and immigrants and chose to build their family in Rosemead because they believed it was a place where hard work could open doors for the next generation. Like many immigrant families, they found their footing in a new homeland and labored long hours in unstable working conditions, crammed family and friends into a rented two-bedroom unit and persisted in pursuit of a dream that they could not fully articulate in English. Diana grew up in a multigenerational household where she translated for her parents and navigated school largely on her own. Her father drove cargo trucks up and down California, her mother cleaned houses, and neither could guide her through a system they hadn't been through themselves.

Diana’s childhood has shaped her understanding of what faith, love, and service means and how critical it is to build community. She knows that opportunity isn't something people find on their own—it's created by strong schools, safe neighborhoods, responsive government, and communities that invest in families.

As a first-generation college student, Diana charted her own path to higher education, earning a full scholarship to Wellesley College, where she graduated with honors. Along the way, she discovered a passion for civic leadership, serving as student body president, practicing strategic planning at the highest levels of the college, and helping cultivate the next generation of campus leaders. After graduating, she built a successful career in finance at Bank of America before returning home to the San Gabriel Valley to invest in the community that invested in her.

Diana is proud to be rooted in Rosemead and is committed to building community through public service.

Through organizations like CAUSE and LA Forward, she led community engagement efforts in the San Gabriel Valley, mentored future civic leaders, and worked in local, state, and congressional offices. She believes government works best when it listens first and makes it easier—not harder—for people to be involved.

Diana believes Rosemead should remain a place where young families can afford to stay, seniors can age in place with dignity, small businesses can grow, and every resident feels connected to their local leadership.

For Diana, some of her favorite childhood memories in Rosemead are the everyday moments that make our community special— giving extra lemons to her next-door neighbor, carpooling to school with nearby families, swimming in the summer, and sharing bánh mì sandwiches with cousins. 

Today, she enjoys bringing her parents to the Rosemead Parks and Recreation programs, playing mahjong, and biking to the Bosque Del Rio Hondo.