Diane Coates bio
Diane Coates, 47, was born Diane Marie Crenshaw to Fred and Iris Crenshaw in Nashville, Tennessee.
Diane was a bright student who enjoyed participating in school government activities. In high school, she served as the Assemblies Commissioner, finding and arranging speakers or programs for all student assemblies.
She went on to the Peabody School of Education and Human Development at Vanderbilt, where she was active in an undergraduate student academic and professional development association. There, she again planned forums and programs.
Diane preferred participating in activities over studying, so she quit school and took a position with Nashville State Community College. There, she made a name for herself as a whiz at organizational planning.
When she and some friends attended a photo exhibit, she met the photographer Rupert Coates. He was finishing his Master of Architecture studies at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He said photography was his passion, which had started as a hobby but occasionally paid off when he exhibited and sold his work.
Diane felt something for this young man she had never experienced before. His sweet, quiet, reserved manner appealed to her, and they exchanged phone numbers. When he didn't call her within the next few days, she called him, and they began dating.
Rupert moved to Nashville the next year, and the couple married in June. In the early years of their marriage, Diane had a miscarriage and declared "never again." Ever since, she has concentrated on her career.
Seven years ago, Rupert accepted a position with Dixieland Design and Construction in Mississippi, and he and Diane moved to Oxford. Leveraging the skills she honed in Nashville, Diane found a job in the Division of Outreach and Continuing Education at the University of Mississippi.
Rupert's job required him to travel regularly throughout Mississippi and western Tennessee, leaving Diane at loose ends when she wasn't at work. Eventually, she began frequenting bars, ostensibly for the contacts it would give her in her job, but she also enjoyed the camaraderie.
Over time, Diane's late hours and excessive drinking began to affect other areas of her life. Although she had never been the easiest person to get along with, her co-workers noticed an impatience and short temper that she didn't have before. They joked that they should find out Rupert's secret for dealing with her.
When supervisor Sandra Moss became aware of the strain Diane's behavior was causing in the department, she suggested that Diane seek counseling for any personal issues she might be dealing with. When Diane's conduct didn't improve, Sandra told her that her actions were negatively affecting her career and warned that a lack of visible attempts to change could result in termination.
Diane seemed to straighten up after she began working on this year's Barksdale Literature Conference. She seemed to enjoy her work, which made her almost pleasant around the office. Her co-workers were relieved that she had less time to focus on them.
Diane had a reservation to stay at the YCCC during the conference, telling Rupert she needed to be there to keep an eye on things.
