Diane C. Inverso was appointed executive director of the Office of Adult Education in 2016 and joined the board of directors for Philadelphia Works, Inc. around the same time. With more than 25 years of experience working for the Office of Adult Education (OAE), formerly the Mayor’s Commission on Literacy, she is an adult education expert on matters related to workforce literacy, family literacy, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) literacy services, and professional development.
In 2014, Inverso was instrumental in creating Adult Education’s myPLACE℠ program, a system of more than 30 adult education providers that coordinate and deliver Adult Basic Education, English as a Second Language, GED® preparation, digital skills training and career preparation to nearly 5,000 adults each year. The initiative was developed to address Philadelphia’s adult literacy challenges—approximately one-third of adults in Philadelphia lack the literacy skills required for family-sustaining employment.
Throughout her career, Inverso has coordinated more than 50 conferences for adult education and workforce development professionals. Most notable are the Commission on Adult Basic Education (COABE) National Conference in 2007, the Pennsylvania Association for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE) Conference in 2009, and the OAE Technology & Adult Education Conference.
Inverso is a former member of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, the Adult Basic and Literacy Education Administrators Association, the Philadelphia Adult Literacy Coalition, and past-president of PAACE. She was appointed by Governor Rendell to serve on the Pennsylvania Adult Basic and Literacy Education Interagency Coordinating Council in 2010.
She has been acknowledged for her commitment to the field with the Excellence in Adult Literacy Award as part of the Women of Courage, Women of Inspiration awards in 2008, the Adult Basic Education Administrator of the Year Award by COABE in 2010, and Outstanding Adult Educator Award for Pennsylvania in 2012.
Inverso has presented at many national, state and local conferences and has published articles in The Pennsylvania ABLE Staff Handbook, 1998; Fieldnotes for ABLE Administrators, 2003; and ABLE in Context, 2010. She holds both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education from Temple University.
