Diana Stegall (’88)

Executive Vice President, Rivendell Safety Consulting

Oro Valley, AZ
WFU Class of 1988
Major: Chemistry

DeacLink: Please walk me through your path from graduation day to your current job.

Diana Stegall: I wasn’t sure what I specifically wanted to do after college – I knew my strengths and skills and, after a few missteps, entered a training program for an insurance company in their insurance engineering and audit department. I worked for several different insurance companies over the years helping employers understand their risks and ways to mitigate those risks – improving the workspace for employees and their clientele. When my husband and I moved to the Tucson area in 2019 I started working with him in providing services to direct delivery companies.

DL: How much did your studies and general experience at Wake inform or drive your career path?

DS: Even though my degree was chemistry, I was able to participate in the open curriculum program and choose courses that I felt would contribute to my overall love of learning. It also allowed me to experience a semester at Casa Artom which has influenced my love of travel and exploration. As a safety professional working for an insurance company, I was able to tap into my technical skills when doing industrial hygiene work and designing ergonomic solutions, but also my creative side when writing internal reports and client resource materials.

DL: How did you find and apply to the various positions you’ve held? Any tips or suggestions for the student audience on networking, interviewing and applying for jobs?

DS: My one regret is that I did not take more advantage of the career resources when I was at Wake. The first position I held in my chosen field was through a placement agency. When I moved to different parts of the country, I initially would apply directly to insurance companies in that area. I became very involved in the professional association (The American Society of Safety Professionals) and that involvement helped me find out about jobs and gain an upper hand in the interview process in later positions.

My advice—be active in your professional associations and tap into the networking (aka connections) that is available. If there are conferences or educational events, these interactions can help you refine what aspect of your field is of most interest, and take advantage of opportunities for job shadowing, resume reviews, and practice interviews.

DL: What is your favorite part of living and working where you do?

DS: Oro Valley is surrounded by state, local, and National Parks. When choosing where to move, sunshine, outdoor activities, and access to the arts were all important. The food scene is also amazing—it isn’t just one ethnicity—and the fruits and vegetables are very fresh.

With the outdoor spaces, there are numerous outdoor art installations as well as murals. The University of Arizona is 20 minutes away and is always bringing indifferent types of art.

One of the recent exhibits was the premiere of a Linda McCartney Retrospective. A particularly fascinating part was the history of the teacher who got her interested in photography- and the connection to an old college in Black Mountain, NC—not too far from where I grew up.

DL: What is your favorite part about where you work?

DS: What I loved about being a safety professional for an insurance company was being able to see how things are made and working with a variety of industries and people – from CEO’s to the floor supervisor; from companies making high end guitars to school districts to nursing homes. I learned something new every day. And I was able to take my knowledge and make things better for the workers and the company.

DL: What and where is next for you?

DS: After taking a break from travel during the pandemic, we renewed our international travel this year with trips to Patagonia and Sicily. I was pleased that I was able to remember my Italian from my Casa Artom days! There are so many places we want to visit—including getting to more of the wonderful treasures that we have in the USA known as our national parks. More to come!

DL: Any other kernel of advice you’d like to impart to the readers?

DS: Be open to different opportunities- you never know where they will lead.