Building Visions into Reality

Diana Potts is known as a maverick in her field, and her work throughout her career has earned her two Congressional honors. She embraces the concept that “the only limits we have are the ones we impose on ourselves.” Innovation and risk are inextricably linked, and this fiercely competitive businesswoman can undeniably see around corners and build a vision from dream to reality. While she is steadfast in her belief that culture and a solid foundation are necessary for every company, she also believes in stretching beyond the limits of the current game plan to embrace new opportunities. Her commitment to quality and exceptional client retention rate has enabled her to grow the business in a short period.

A passionate businesswoman, Diana has been involved in entrepreneurship and providing access and resources for other entrepreneurs in her community for many years. She imparts mentorship, education, support, and empowerment to women on a global basis. From working in the corporate world to becoming a successful entrepreneur, she went from consulting for global start-up companies to directing a workforce development change in her local area before working for Fortuna BMC.

Diana is a true advocate for empowering those in need to better themselves. Utilizing her gift as an International Speaker, she has provided invaluable wisdom to educators, business leaders, and youth for over 25 years. She has received many prestigious awards, including Congressional Honors for Disaster Response and Recovery, the Congressional Medal of Distinction for Environmental Efforts, the National Leadership Award, and Businessperson of the Year for North Carolina. She sits on the NC Tech Association Board of Advisors and the NC Veteran Business Association Board of Directors. She also sat on the Business Advisory Council of the White House for two terms.

The steadfast leader focuses on getting to know her employees when they enter the door. She wants to know their hopes, goals, and family life to create a professional improvement plan to meet the employee’s goals while remaining within the company’s vision and culture framework. As a military veteran who has also been a military spouse, Diana can genuinely relate to the transitioning service members and their spouses that Fortuna BMC aims to help. She inspires her team through her commitment to improving the lives of our people and customers. She exemplifies Fortuna BMC’s mission statement through her daily actions.

“It took me a long time to find success. Throughout my career, I’ve constantly entered traditionally male dominated spaces. When I was nominated to do two terms at the White House with the Business Advisory Council, I thought I had found success,” says Diana. “You have to learn to be assertive, not aggressive. You have to be able to say I’m here for a reason, my background, experience, and knowledge allows me to help you, so if you will allow me to be heard, I can help you. Communicating that really helped get my message across, especially while I was working at the White House as well as my time at the Pentagon, where I was a woman in leadership in a very male-dominated space.”

With such determination, Diana has been taking Fortuna BMC to new heights. The company’s mission is to improve people's and customers' lives. They are focusing on their Corporate Social Responsibilities to enhance the quality of life for the workforce, their families, and clients while fostering economic growth within each community served. “We are committed to growing and expanding the company’s reach by introducing new and innovative services to our customers. We are continuing our commitment to hiring Reservist, Guards, Transitioning Military members, veterans of all eras, and their spouses, to create jobs nationally within HUB Zones and across the country,” elucidates Diana.

One of the most significant achievements for Fortuna BMC was growing from 40 people to over 800 in eight months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these hires were veterans, military spouses, and people with disabilities. “One of our main goals is to expand our geographical reach and our brand recognition. Growing our team of veterans and military spouses within our workspace and training them to transition smoothly into the corporate space is another major goal we are working towards,” adds Diana.