Meet Our Board

Diane Kaplowitz is a seasoned personal lines, employee group benefits and life insurance agent/broker for R.C. Fischer & Co. in Walnut Creek CA. She is the first successful woman producer since the company started in 1939. Diane has been a California resident since 2010 having roots in the Tacoma/Seattle area. She has been married to her life partner for over 40 years and is a mother our four grown children. When not helping people with their insurance needs, Diane enjoys cruising, the beach, gardening, hiking and playing a round of golf.

Juleen Lapporte is the creative force behind Studio Jule, where she specializes in crafting custom fine art portraits that you can't wait to share with family and friends and hang on your walls. She loves helping clients discover a new perspective of themselves and ensuring the entire photo session is a fun experience. Juleen believes that personal portraits are a special way to connect with ourselves and others. She works with high school seniors, families, businesses, and women all around the SF Bay Area. 

Outside of her photography, Juleen is passionate about giving back to her community. In the past, she's been an active volunteer in local schools and her synagogue; she continues to volunteer for local community organizations. When she's not behind the camera, you can find Juleen hiking, taking dance classes, or exploring the Bay Area's great food scene with her adult daughters.

Amy Golan is the owner of Planet Renu, a zero-waste refill store that has a physical retail space in Walnut Creek, as well as an online store. She also works with farmers' markets, schools, colleges, and corporations, conducting pop-ups, Sustainability Workshops, and Green Consulting. Education is an important part of Planet Renu’s mission, providing the WHY in why everyone needs to live more sustainably. Her mission is to provide solutions to the overwhelming problem of single-use plastics. 

Amy has an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, a certificate in "Circular Economy" from the University of Chicago, she was admitted into the CC-P® Candidate program administered by the Association of Climate Change Officers, and was recently completed a climate fellowship accelerator. She enjoys being part of MDBW and is also a board member with the nonprofit organization Race to Zero. She lives in Walnut Creek with her husband, daughter, and Siberian husky. Her older boys are in college and grad school. Amy enjoys hiking, dancing, volunteering, traveling, as well as spending time with her family and friends.

Pamela is a seasoned accounting professional and an Enrolled Agent licensed by the IRS as a tax accountant. She is a member of the East Bay Association of Enrolled Agents and CSEA, California Society of Enrolled Agents. She has worked in the bookkeeping and write-up accounting industry for over 37 years. Her current work is exclusive to small businesses, including sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, nonprofits as well as income tax preparation specializing in individuals and small business. Pamela received her Bachelor’s degree in Business from JFK University. She is also an Ambassador to the Concord Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys being involved in local community organizations, such as her community choral groups that help expose inner city kids to life influencing musical experiences. She lives in Concord with her fur baby Gabe.

Carolyn Seefer retired in December 2022 from Diablo Valley College, where she was a professor of business administration for over 26 years. While at DVC, she served as faculty advisor for Phi Beta Lambda, an international student business organization, for 18 years; was a member of the DVC Scholarship Committee for 24 years; was chair of the Business Administration Department; and served on the DVC Academic Senate as the Business Division representative and as secretary. In addition, Carolyn taught in Florence, Italy, for two semesters for the college’s Study Abroad program. She was also one of the first to teach online at the college, beginning in 1999, when she also cofounded the DVC Distance Learning Advisory Task Force. She was selected as Teacher of the Year for the Contra Costa Community College District and as Best Club Advisor for DVC. In addition, she is a textbook author; her book Business English, published by Cengage, is the premier textbook in the field. Carolyn lives in Walnut Creek with her husband. They enjoy their daily walks together, reading, dining out, attending concerts, photography, and exploring the world through travel. They have already been to 47 countries and have plans to visit many more in the next few years.

Nicole Anderson is a seasoned real estate expert based in Walnut Creek, specializing in the East Bay Area. Since 2014, The Nicole Anderson Group has been known for delivering exceptional "white glove" service to their clients, whether they are buying or selling their homes. Nicole excels in communication, providing her clients with clarity at every stage of the process. Her strategic planning skills enable her to navigate real estate transactions smoothly and successfully. With 13 years of elite corporate sales experience, Nicole has honed exceptional negotiation skills, which she brings to her real estate career. She is passionate about finding the best solutions for her clients' unique real estate needs and executing them with ease. Nicole looks forward to the opportunity to meet and connect with you in person.

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Nicole holds a Bachelor Of Arts Psychology Arizona State University 2001 and is also a Certified Global Luxury Specialist (2020) and a Certified Senior Real Estate Specialist (2022).

Miriam Schaffer is a college admission advisor and the founder of Colleges for You. Her expertise lies in guiding students and their families through the college application process, including choosing colleges that are the best fit for a student, helping with completing college applications, and assisting with developing and finalizing college application essays, personal statements, and University of California personal insight answers. Miriam’s clients have been accepted at public and private colleges and universities nationwide, including all University of California campuses. Miriam has served on MDBW's Board as Marketing chair and as President from 2021-2023. She was named MDBW's 2023 Woman of the Year.

Are you looking for ways to get more involved but aren't sure how? This Board position is available. Please reach out to Diane Kaplowitz if interested.  

Julie trained to be an end of life doula in 2021 when she was looking for her next way to be of service in her community.  Prior to that targeted training, she had taken multi-year courses about soul work, end of life issues and grief.   Julie shares her personal experiences with death and grief with her clients and their loved ones to remind them that they are not alone in how they are feeling and to help them determine how they want to honor and carry their loved ones with them moving forward.  Please visit  www.finalseasondoula.com for more information.  

Julie was born and raised in Maryland.  She earned a bachelor's degree in Law Enforcement and a Masters degree in Forensic Science.  Julie moved to California in 1990 to start a career as a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) with the Oakland Police Department.  Julie retired in 2015 after 25 years of service.  She co-taught a Crime Scene Investigation class at Diablo Valley College from January 2016 through May 2020. 

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Julie is a very organized, detail-oriented person who has cultivated relationships with people who provide services to seniors to have a vetted network available for her future clients.  She is a member of several local networks including end of life doulas and many types of service providers for education, collaboration and support.   

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Julie shares her Martinez home with two cats as well as lots of art and photographs of her loved ones.  She loves to travel and enjoys hiking, cooking & baking, movies, live theater & music.

Teri Day is a Business Accountability Mentor and founder of Lovely Days Collective.

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With 30 years in commercial real estate—including two decades in leadership and over 10 years in executive roles—Teri has built, led, and supported high-performing teams through every stage of business. She’s managed multimillion-dollar portfolios, guided organizations through crisis and growth, and mentored professionals at every level.

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Today, she brings that same strategic clarity and steady presence to her private mentorship work with high-achieving women entrepreneurs. Teri helps women cut through overwhelm, clarify their priorities, and stay accountable to their yes’s and no’s—so they can build businesses that truly support their lives.

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Teri holds a Bachelor of Science from CSU Sacramento 1996 and and she's held her CA Dept. of Real Estate Sales Person License for over 25 years. Born and raised in Berkeley, CA, she now resides in Walnut Creek with her intelligent, kind, and athletic teenage son who attends Las Lomas High School, and their sweet dog, Oreo. 

Anna Febiana is an independent agent and living benefit specialist with National Life Group. Anna specializes in life insurance with a focus on living benefits—insurance that you benefit from without having to pass away. She helps individuals protect their income against the financial impact of debilitating illnesses or injuries and assists in planning for a tax-free retirement. Her goal is to ensure that every client enjoys the security and confidence of being well-protected, through all of life’s circumstances. This comprehensive approach helps her clients secure their financial future and protect their loved ones. Her business is all about providing peace of mind.​​

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Anna also serves as Board of Trustees member for the Bay East Association of REALTORS® Foundation, social media chair for the Women’s Council of Realtors Contra Costa, ambassador for the Concord Chamber of Commerce, greeter for PWRG Concord, merchandising manager for Walnut Creek Aquanuts Artistic Swimming Club, and board member for St. Perpetua School PTA.​ In her free time, Anna enjoys cooking, gardening, sewing, arts and crafts, and spoiling her children.

Diane joined MDBW in 2015, looking for connections with businesswomen “closer to

home” in the East Bay. She spent 25 years commuting to Foster City, where she worked

at Visa. While at Visa, she held leadership positions in Marketing, Product Management,

and Fintech Innovation—the latter role resulting in multiple patents where Diane is an

inventor. Diane also worked at advertising agencies in Chicago and Los Angeles, on

accounts where she got to attend McDonald’s Hamburger U., receive a “whale kiss”

from Sea World’s famous Shamu, and select the cookies used in a TV commercial for

Nestle’s Morsels.

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Diane is currently indulging her love of writing. She creates articles for MDBW’s emails

and monthly newsletters, and supports several nonprofits with their grant-writing and

website content needs. She is on the Advisory Board of Yours Humanly, an education

nonprofit, where one of her recent grants enabled funding of a 2-year early literacy

project in ten Title 1 schools.

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Diane and her husband enjoy hiking, backpacking, and brainstorming about new

fintech creations. They maintain hope that their 30-something daughter will move from

New York back to the Bay Area!

Mary Schulze has been a realtor since 2002. She holds GRI and SRES designations, and finishing her CRS designation. She is a “green realtor” specializing in finding homes that meet the green standards for safe living. Mary is a graduate of California State at Hayward, with a BS in Health Science and Marketing. She has worked as a nurse, owned her own business, Bay Area’s Best, an advertising firm in Contra Costa.  During that time, Mary founded Mt. Diablo Business Women. She also served on the Lafayette Chamber Board of Directors for two terms, and the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce for three terms. Currently, she is participating in the Assistance League of Sierra Foothills, and acting Welcome Chair to the community where she lives. She is married, grandmother to three grandsons, loves music, plays the piano, enjoys cooking, and playing with her giant Schnoodle, Maxx.