RESIDENT SPOTLIGHT By Marianne Zak Meet Lake Ashton's own dynamo, Diane Banti, formerly of the suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. Diane and her husband, Gino, moved to Lake Ashton in 2017 and reside on Birkdale Drive. Diane and Gino met 29 years ago and have been married for 27 years. They raised three children together. Their son, Joe, made them proud grandparents of a 16-month-old toddler, Joe Jr. Diane's mother, Jean Hilkin, who lived in Davenport, Florida, became a leg amputee and needed care. Diane was familiar with the community because her sister, Patti Anderson, has lived in Lake Ashton since 2004. Since their mother needed care, Gino and Diane decided to move from Chicago to Lake Ashton to share in caring for their mother until her passing. Diane may be a person of short stature, but she has never let it hold her back. She has a victorious attitude instilled in her by her family and her school years. She is proud of all her accomplishments and has a winning, positive and energetic personality. Diane said, "I never missed an opportunity to do sports or anything I tried out for.” Diane has an associate's degree in criminal justice. She worked for the Bartlett, Illinois, police records department. Later, while working for American Signature Furniture, her high energy got her promoted to management as a service coordinator. With her business background, she has experience working effectively within organizations. She said, "When working together as a team, you get things accomplished." As a teenager, Diane was involved in theater, played the flute and took up dancing. With her experience in the arts, she joined the Lake Ashton Performing Arts Company (LAPAC). Last year, she headed the Haunted House extravaganza at the Lake Ashton Clubhouse and led an amazing production. She also coordinated the cast and crew afterparty. With her background in management, she is now the Special Events Coordinator for LAPAC. Her primary responsibility is fundraising. Her latest project is being held on Saturday, October 17, at the HFC. All Lake Ashton residents are invited to the LAPAC annual fundraiser. The theme of this year's fundraiser will be wine tasting. There will be a wine wall where attendees can pull tickets to find out which wine they have won. Special, expensive wines will be mixed in with other varieties. The proceeds will all go to the LAPAC Talent Show being held in the spring. Diane said, "I have built my best friendships through LAPAC." Diane loves crafts and has been making decorative tissue box covers for more than 25 years. Her designs include sports, military and many other tissue box themes. You can find her at Lake Ashton craft shows to purchase her tissue box covers or order them directly from her home. Diane enjoys entertaining residents by singing karaoke. She and her husband, Gino, who was the lead singer in a cover band for years, frequently sing duets together. She enjoys cruising to the Caribbean, and her other interests include trips to the beach and all things Disney. As annual passholders, Diane and Gino make Walt Disney World their second home. She said, "I could talk about Disney all day." The Bantis are big Chicago Cubs fans and enjoy attending games when the Cubs visit the Tampa Bay Rays. Family is important to Diane. Every weekend, they have game night, and Gino and Diane's families often gather to play card games. Recently, their favorite card game is a strategy game from England called "Skyjo." Lake Ashton is fortunate to have Diane as the Special Events Coordinator of LAPAC. She works diligently behind the scenes to help raise funds to bring quality productions for the enjoyment of our entire community. Diane is yet another reason why Lake Ashton is "Simply the Best." 14
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