At the November Executive Board Meeting, an election was held to fill the vacant position of Director of Public Relations. After two ballots, Mrs. Dianne Battle of the Ninth Episcopal District was elected to serve the remainder of the 2017-2021 term.
Dianne Battle is an only child born to Mrs. Eunice V. Holifield (Alex) and biological father, Mr. Nathaniel Thomas. She is married to Willie J. Battle, a mother of five, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was educated in the public school system of Hale County, Alabama. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the Associate and Bachelor of Arts degrees from Concordia College in Selma, Alabama, and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of West Alabama, with additional education from Bryant & Stratton Business College in Buffalo, New York.
She is a member of the Historic St. Matthew AME Church in Greensboro, Alabama, where the Rev. Steven Barnett serves as pastor. She has been nominated by several pastors for over 30 years to serve as a steward. Dianne is very active in the Women’s Missionary Society of the Ninth Episcopal District, where she serves in a variety of offices including the WMS Editor for the 9th Episcopal District and Recording Secretary for the Northwest Alabama Conference WMS. She was appointed to the position of Connectional Database Manager for the Connectional WMS under the leadership of Connectional President Dr. Shirley Cason Reed and Mrs. Ida Tyre-Hyche, Connectional Editor of the Women’s Missionary Magazine in 2011.
In the Lay Organization, Dianne has also utilized her gifts to serve in a variety of positions. Her knowledge and many years of using the computer allows her to assist others when and wherever needed. Offices she has served include Director of Public Relations for the Ninth Episcopal District, Director of Lay Activities for the Northwest Alabama Conference, and local Lay President for St. Matthew AME Church. Some of her previously held positions in the AME Church include Recording Secretary for the Ninth Episcopal District Lay Organization, Second Vice President for the West/Northwest Conference Lay Organization, Director of Lay Activities for the West Conference, and Director of Lay Activities for the local church. She is currently serving as the local lay president.
In her community, Dianne has served as a board member, administrative specialist, and Certified Grants Writer for the Black History Safe House Museum. At an early age, she was a “Foot Soldier” of the Civil Rights Movement in the south under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She is a member of the Order of Eastern Star, the Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks Organizations, and a poll worker for all local, county, and state elections. She is retired from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and spent a total of 35 years working with the State of Alabama.
Her favorite scripture is “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Her personal motto is “Service is what I do.”
