Dianna is one of the founding members of the River City Gems and has actively participated in nearly every Gems activity. Her drive to create a safe social haven for free expression and her passion to bring a greater social awareness about the transgender community has been her inspiration for the last 20+ years. Dianna brings to the Gems years of leadership skills working in the manufacturing industry and also a number of trade associations. Her passion for art and design coupled with computer skills has also been a big part of her contribution in the Gems rapid growth. On a personal note she is known for her love for life and living one day at a time. She is happily married and surrounds herself with a supportive family. You can always find her either on the dance floor or playing tunes at our monthly socials.

Dianna can be emailed directly at:
ladydiannarcg (at) gmail (dot) com.

I’ve been actively involved in the transgender community for over 10 years, and was one of the founding members of the Gems.  I served as Gems Activities Director from 2007-2010, and as River City Sparkle Chair in 2008 and 2009 and Co-chair in 2010.  As Vice President for 2011, my primary duties are keeping  our membership and attendance records and overseeing our 501(c)(3) nonprofit compliance and annual filings.

As a trans ally, I care deeply about issues affecting trans people. I believe that the River City Gems is an important resource for our community, a place where people can come to “figure themselves out” and find the support they need to achieve personal fulfillment on whatever path they choose, whether that be transition or finding a more harmonious balance between genders. 

I'm a native Northern Californian and have been married to Rachel, our Gems Website Administrator, for 9 years. I treasure all the wonderful friends I’ve met through the Gems, and I look forward to many more years with this amazing organization.

Melissa has serves as Activities Director since 2011 in addition to her role as coordinator of the New Girls Night Out program. Melissa joined the River City Gems in August 2009, around the same time she became fully out in public. Melissa teaches in the music department at one of the Sacramento area colleges and occasionally consults in her previous career area of chemical analysis instrumentation. She brings an extensive background of marketing, customer support, instruction, data analysis, planning and management to the Gems board. Melissa moved from Illinois to the Sacramento area in 1987. Her passions and hobbies include music, guitars, reading, traveling, good food and shopping with a particular weakness for dresses, shoes and MAC makeup.

Melissa can be emailed directly at:
melissa.hansen42 (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Pauline has been entrusted with the responsibilities of Treasurer for the River City Gems since 2011.  She joined the Gems Yahoo group in April of 2009, but did not make her first appearance outside a residence en femme until the September 2009 Social.  She enjoyed the experience so much she has attended as many Gems functions as possible since that time!  An accountant by trade, she possesses undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting and finance, respectively.  She has worked in the field of corporate accounting since graduating from CSU Sacramento in 1986 for small local firms as well as international corporations.  She currently works in the finance department of a midsized company as a Senior Corporate Accountant, and is pleased to have an opportunity to use the skills she has developed during her career to support the River City Gems.  A lifelong Northern Californian, Pauline enjoys shopping for cute clothes, gaming, reading history and historic fiction, music, science fiction, good food and traveling (when she can afford it)!  Pauline also likes golf, but it doesn’t like her and she needs a lot more practice. Nonetheless, she would love to try playing golf as Pauline one day!

Pauline can be emailed directly at:
paulinedbbwcd (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Tilda is Gems Secretary for 2012. This will be her second year serving on the Board. She joined the Gems in 2009 and has served at different times as Librarian, Assistant Editor of the Gems' newsletter, "Facets", Activities Assistant, Yahoo Group moderator and administrator, Sparkle Committee member and co-chair, and a few other ad hoc volunteer duties including hosting the Gems' "Alice in Wonderland" party at her home in 2010 as one of several Alices there.

She has been "out" to varying degrees as transgendered since 1993 and loves cats of all sizes, books about almost anything (especially ones with lots of pictures), movies, travel, dolls, stuffed animals, bossa nova, tacos, color TV, hanging out with friends, supporting worthy causes, being an official lifetime member of the Girl Scouts, and the color pink. She's a li'l bit country, a li'l bit rock 'n' roll, and a whole lot of homebody. Star sign: Virgo (with the moon in Klutz).

Tilda can be emailed directly at:
tilda_ampersand (at) yahoo (dot) com

I’m one of the founding members of the River City Gems. For the last three years I have been the Gems’ Multimedia Director and also been a River City Sparkle Committee member every year. Since 2011 my role has been more specifically focused on website administration. I’m responsible for maintaining the Gems’ two public websites (www.rivercitygems.org and www.rivercitysparkle.org). I’m also one of the Gems’ resident DJs at our socials, and “in a past life” I worked as a professional DJ for an entertainment company.

My current career is in Production Planning. I’m British and I’m married to Marla who is the Gems Vice President. We first met online via a crossdressing forum in the spring of 2001. I was living in the UK at the time and immigrated to the US to be with her. Together we have explored and developed my female side and we often go out together as two girls. Apart from expressing my feminine side, I love anything to do with computers, watching movies, listening to music, drinking wine, eating vegan food and dark chocolate, and of course, going shopping for cute clothes!

Rachel can be emailed directly at:
angel_darling_ca (at) yahoo (dot) com.