By Auroni Sen | Posted February 14, 2025
While many Montgomery residents are busy with their families, jobs, and recreational activities, a dedicated corp of volunteers got into their vehicles on dark, 5-degree-Fahrenheit wintry evening to sit around a table at the Montgomery Municipal Center.
Montgomery Township Economic Development Commission. From left: Alexis Guirand, Chairwoman Diana Andes, Lorette Pruden, Vaishali Patel (guest), Vice Chairman Arun Mani, and Beverly Meaux.
They could have been home, wrapped up in a blanket watching Netflix. Instead, they were analyzing the economic development of the region, and how to promote local business and sound development in township.
On January 21, the group re-elected Diana Andes, a local realtor who works hard to help local businesses build strong connections within the community, to serve as its chairwoman. Her work within the community does not end there. Andes’ love for arts and crafts inspired her to try home renovations, and now she helps families with that as well.
Andes and her family moved to Montgomery in 2021, during the pandemic. She started hosting crafting events to get to know her new community better. She posted a reference photo of what she was planning on creating, and found a lot of people interested in attending. The event was open to beginners and skilled crafters.
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As more people became interested, Andes began scheduling more events. “We do them every few months and it’s open to the public,” she says. “It's really laid back…people sign up and usually they’ll bring their friends, and it’s really fun. Just a casual night.”
Andes prioritizes connecting with the community on a more personal level. Though she started hosting these craft events to get to know her neighbors, she found that they also helped establish her business personally among the town. “Businesses are what make up the community and help the community thrive,” says Andes.
Community crafting event hosted by Diana Andes.
Her personal involvement within the community shows how creating a close atmosphere among businesses and residents is crucial for a community to flourish. She says local businesses are a critical part of any community. “I think when the businesses are more involved, people get to know who owns it, and it just creates a more tight-knit atmosphere,” Andes says.
She posts videos on social media to highlight her favorite local businesses, and to raise interest among the community — driving home the shop local message. “If there's a new business in town or if I've visited something new, I do an Instagram reel and it showcases the place…just to support local businesses and encourage the community to eat there… because we want them all to succeed,”
Andes says. Her work as chairperson of the EDC pushes her goal of building a bridge between residents and businesses. Andes’s creative approach to strengthening the bonds within her community is inspiring, and will continue to push unity among the community.
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