August 2026: President's Message
Posted on Jul. 28, 2026 / President's Message / Subscribe 0
For this month’s Message from Our President, Alex Wallash speaks with Diana Stepner, Director of Communications, to discuss her work for SFBAC and what's on her mind.
Diana spent over 20 years in product leadership before making what she describes as a natural transition into coaching. "As a product person, you're always connected with the people around you – stakeholders, sponsors, all the different parts of the organization," she shared. "I wanted to build on those connections in a coaching sphere."
She started as a communications volunteer, then stepped up to Director of Communications as board opportunities arose. As she puts it, "It allowed me to have more direct influence" in helping build the community the same way she once helped build products and coach her team.
The Communications committee runs the monthly newsletter, ad hoc emails, and recently completed a website refresh which, Diana jokes, drew on her product management instincts. They're also exploring channels like WhatsApp to meet members where they hang out.
The goal across all channels is the same: creating content that feels like it came from a human who cares. Which brings us to AI. Diana lives in San Francisco and grew up in Cupertino. AI isn't optional for her. It's embedded in the environment, but she has concerns. "Sometimes people put too much focus on what AI can do". There's energy, insight, and presence in coaching "that is lost," she said, "when we outsource our creativity and our knowledge to AI."
Her view is that blending the human element and what AI can bring offers more opportunities for individuals. A perfect example is the upcoming Coaches Summit on September 18th at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. There will be AI experiences as well as a speaker discussing AI, but the whole point is to be there to connect with other humans in person. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, learn more and register now.
0 Comments