Diane Young-Spitzer was born in Taipei, Taiwan to emigres from mainland China. She moved to the United States with her mother and siblings at the age of seven to join her father, who had come earlier to pursue an advanced degree.
Diane grew up with experiences familiar to many immigrant children. Not knowing a word of English, Diane had to navigate her way through first grade using unofficial sign language. While able to speak basic Mandarin, Diane could not read or write the language and bribes to attend Saturday Chinese School had only moderate success. It was not until she went to May Ling Soong’s alma mater, Wellesley, that she learned how to read and write Chinese, eventually studying classical Chinese literature. Diane has wonderful memories of frequent visits to the Chinese Department, finding a welcoming Mrs. Lin, Mrs. Yu, and Mrs. Yao.
After Wellesley, Diane attended law school with thoughts of practicing immigration law. After a stint with employment law, her career veered towards the corporate and securities area. She worked for the Securities & Exchange Commission in Washington DC for several years, before returning to Boston with her young family in tow. Diane now heads the Massachusetts Securities Division whose mission is investor protection. The Division investigates securities law violations, reviews securities offerings, and registers financial professionals.
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