Mercy College Professor Diana Juettner Honored for Service on Greenburgh Town Board
Diana Juettner, J.D., professor of Legal Studies at Mercy College, recently retired from the Greenburgh Town Board after 29 years of service—10 days shy of 30 years. Driven by her love of the community, Juettner contributed to numerous important town projects and initiatives over the years. While serving the public interest, she brought the same dedication and passion to her work at Mercy College.
Since first being appointed to the Greenburgh Town Board in 1992, Juettner has initiated or supported a long list of projects, including the construction of the Multipurpose Center, the Greenburgh Public Library renovations, the construction of more affordable housing, the expansion of open space, and the renovations and maintenance of historic buildings at the Greenburgh Nature Center and the Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters. “What motivated me is the community I live in,” she explained. “The more I learned about the community, the more I loved it because of all the diverse backgrounds and ethnic groups and how each person contributes in his or her own way.”
As they reflected on her long history of service, Juettner’s Town Board colleagues applauded her ability to listen and her love for the people of Greenburgh. Juettner humbly deflected the praise: “The truth is that it doesn't happen all by yourself. People have to be working with you. You may lead the charge or say, ‘This is important, and this needs to be done.’ But you’ve got to convince others that it’s important too.”
At the year-end Town Board meeting in December, Juettner was awarded the Parks and Recreation Commissioner’s Community Service Award for her outstanding contributions to the Town of Greenburgh. The Town Board also voted to name the lounge at the Anthony F. Veteran Park Multipurpose Center in her honor, which will now be called the Diana D. Juettner Lounge.
Even before Juettner was appointed to the Greenburgh Town Board, she was teaching at Mercy College as a professor in the Legal Studies program. Starting as an adjunct instructor in 1985 while still practicing as an attorney, she eventually joined Mercy’s faculty full time and now teaches legal studies, state and local government studies, and conflict management.
“You get hooked on teaching,” she said. “The students at Mercy are wonderful, and it's great working with them. And my colleagues make it a pleasure to teach here. We enjoy each other's company. We brainstorm new ways to challenge students or better meet their needs. It's such a great place to be.”
One of the initiatives Juettner is most proud of is Mercy’s Dispute Resolution Certificate program, which trains students in conflict management. The interdisciplinary program was originally developed by Juettner, sociology professor Dorothy Balancio ’68, Ph.D., and political science professor Arthur Lerman, Ph.D. Each brought their discipline’s perspective to the work: “I saw that litigation doesn’t solve every problem. In fact, it often creates other problems—thought that’s not to say that litigation isn’t important.” All three felt that it was important to be in the classroom together as they developed the curriculum, so they co-taught every class—volunteering their time to do so.
Over the years, hundreds of students and faculty from across Mercy—including future attorneys, educators, psychologists and healthcare professionals—have participated in the program, exploring how people behave in conflict and how to resolve conflict through negotiation and mediation. “I love teaching this program because of the fascinating interactions and perspectives that students bring from their various disciplines,” she explained. “It's such a rewarding class to teach because when the students use the conflict management principles, it makes their lives better.”
“On behalf of Mercy College, I offer my congratulations to Diana Juettner for her service to the Town of Greenburgh,” said Mercy College President Tim Hall. “Professor Juettner is an inspiring leader and Mercy has been fortunate to benefit from her knowledge and commitment to the success of our students.”
Juettner brings such contagious passion and energy to everything she does. Though she has retired from the Greenburgh Town Board, she will continue to bring energy to her work at Mercy—and will no doubt continue to find new ways to enhance the education and experiences of Mercy’s students.
A recent article in “The Rivertowns Enterprise” shares more detail about Juettner’s accomplishments on the Greenburgh Town Board. To view the article, please click here.