LACEY – Whether it was in front of a class of students or the State Assembly, DiAnne Gove brought unstoppable energy, wisdom and compassion.
A Southern Regional graduate, she taught American history and government there for 32 years. She earned teacher of the year in 1992. She’s watched the island grow and change over the years.
Even as a teacher, her involvement went beyond the classroom. If there was an activity or fundraiser to be had, she helped.
“I feel that wherever I go, I hear the heartbeat of the community,” she said. “I’m invested in it and I love helping people.”
To that end, she’s served with the St. Francis parish, the Southern Ocean County Hospital (now Southern Ocean Medical Center) Board of Trustees, and the Long Beach Island Rotary, among other groups.
She said that sadly, her father passed away in 1980, so he never got to see her political life “but he’s watched me through it all.”
In 1984, the late Long Beach Township Commissioner John Twadell asked her to fill a vacancy on that governing body. She won the election the following year. It was the start of her political career. A near miss for re-election at the end of that term didn’t slow her down, though.
Former Mayor (and later Freeholder) Henry Mancini was a mentor to her. She stepped into his shoes, becoming mayor, after his passing in 2003.
Gove shared a story from her time as a LBT commissioner about getting a handicapped ramp for a resident. “I can see the beach now,” he said. She still thinks about that decades later.
She joined the Assembly in 2009 after the seat was left vacant by the arrest of Assemblyman Daniel Van Pelt for federal corruption charges.
“I’ve seen it all – the good times and the bad times,” she said, noting that one of the bad times was Superstorm Sandy. “Even in the bad times, everybody bands together.”
Diane Gove, Brian Rumpf and Chris Connors. (Photo by Bob Vosseller)
Sometimes, its hard to make everyone happy but you have to look at ways for the majority to benefit.
“If I touched one person in life, one constituent, I feel like I’ve been successful,” she said.
Some of her key concerns as a lawmaker were veterans and women’s health, and additionally where these paths intersected. Women veterans have different issues and sometimes she needed to educate the federal government.
She found that in some cases, people don’t ask for help when they really need it. She would need to advocate on their behalf. This was the case in senior communities. People needed someone to listen and to take their concerns up to the powers that be.
Gove chose not to run for re-election. Her spot will be filled by Stafford Mayor Gregory Myhre. Similarly, the 9th District Senator, Christopher Connors, also declined to run again. Berkeley Mayor Carmen Amato won that spot. Only Assemblyman Brian Rumpf will remain in that office.
Sen. Connors recalled how her father was his family physician.
“I’ve known the Gove family my whole life and I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to work with her,” he said.
“It’s genuinely difficult to find someone who wasn’t a student of hers,” he said.
She’s fun and it’s hard to match that energy. “She’s such a likable person, constantly people would gravitate to her,” he said.
Assemblyman Brian Rumpf said she was someone who was committed, fun, and always brought her warmth and good humor with her.
“I’m going to miss her something terrible,” he said. “She was always on top of her game, fully aware of every bill and how the public viewed the legislature. She always did her homework.”
“I’m going to miss it,” Gove said. “I want to thank all the constituents who have supported me over the years – whether in Long Beach Township or the 9th Legislative District. I’m humbled by the support. I’ve enjoyed working for them and will continue to work for people of my home district,” she said, knowing that whatever lies ahead, she’ll be in the forefront of it.
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