Diane Ferraro was adopted as a baby after her birth mother, who had four little boys and a troubled marriage, discovered she was pregnant and felt she couldn’t care for another child. Because of her own adoption story, Ferraro is passionate about ensuring that women like her mother who face unplanned pregnancies are equipped with options and empowered with resources and programs to help them thrive as moms — and if a woman is not ready to parent, to get the help she needs to find a couple to adopt her baby.
Ferraro follows her passion in her role as CEO of Save the Storks, a nonprofit that describes itself as a pro-mom, pro-woman space with the mission to create a story of hope and empowerment for every woman facing an unplanned pregnancy.
Ferraro has been part of the executive and leadership teams at Save the Storks since she joined to lead marketing efforts in 2018. Previously, she served in various critical roles at large corporations, including overseeing marketing and communication efforts at a national luxury retailer chain based in Southern California. During her tenure there as head of marketing, the organization grew from $60 million to $120 million in annual revenue.
Since taking the CEO position at Save the Storks in January 2021, Ferraro has expanded programs to serve women’s health clinics and churches. Under her leadership, the organization has grown its mobile medical program to 90 units in 30 states.
“Hard work was instilled in me by my adopted father, who left school in England at age 14 to become a plumber,” Ferraro said. “He taught me to put my head down, put in long hours, work tirelessly, and not to challenge anything the boss says. I was fortunate to have a career in marketing and advertising, working for brilliant entrepreneurs who taught me that it was OK to take risks and speak up when I didn’t agree with something. Not being a ‘yes man’ and disagreeing with the boss was something that took me years to learn. I learned you could say ‘no’ while also being kind and compassionate.”
Last year, Save the Storks launched the “Dare to Be a Dad” booklet, written by award-winning singer/songwriter Matt Hammitt, and the Start Course, a free online course to educate and equip churches to have compassionate conversations with people facing unplanned pregnancies and connect them with local community resources.
Over the next several years, the organization plans to grow to 1,000 mobile medical units, known as Stork Buses, which provide free ultrasounds and other medical services for women.
“As a Christian, I follow Jesus and make sure I am going to God first in prayer with my work decisions as a leader,” Ferraro said. “My success is attributed to asking God for direction in everything I do.”
