Kathy Decaneva

Snyder Cohn’s Director of First Impressions

Meet Kathy Decaneva. Kathy is our receptionist–but much more.  She’s the heart and soul of our office.   She loves people.  She loves her job.  She is one of those lucky people in life who has found her calling, and we are so lucky to have her!

Kathy welcomes everyone who calls or walks into our offices – employees and clients alike.  She is the personification of Snyder Cohn’s core values, so it just makes sense to share her thoughts here on our website–in a Q&A format that we hope really helps you get to know her!

Q. What is it that you love about your job?

A. I love meeting and interacting with everyone – clients and staff. My desk is the best in the office – I get to see everyone and get to know people personally. For me, it’s all about the personal touch…no electronic menus for us…we believe in human contact!

Q. What do you do?

A. First and foremost, I answer the phones. On my first day of work, Eddie Snyder told me that the most important thing to remember is that we would not be here without the phone calls. It helped me understand how very important my job is, and I have never forgotten.

And then of course, I feel like I’m mother to our associates. I help teach the young ones – and old ones – what good service is all about. I help them understand that, as we grow, we want to stay focused on our relationships and what is important to us – the clients. We must never forget that we are here for clients. A rule that has served me well in life is that I never let anyone know if I’m having a bad day. If you smile your way through it, you make the people around you smile, and the day just gets better.

As for clients, whether they are calling in or coming into the office, I like to talk to them and let them know that we are nice people. It is my job to get to know our clients, so I do what I can to put them at ease. When it is appropriate, I ask personal questions and joke around. Over the years, I feel like I’ve made a lot of good friends.

Q. How do you approach tax season?

A. With both guns! The phone volume tremendously increases, and there is so much more for me to do – I work on projects, I make sure that packages flow into and out of the office via couriers, and I am responsible for the mail. It is fast paced and I love it. It gives me such a feeling of accomplishment. We all work on adrenaline. It is exciting – because it really is what we are all about!

Q. What would you like to share with our clients?

A. I am proud of who we are. We have a lot of staff longevity, so I’ve seen people grow professionally and personally. I’m so happy that Steve B. was promoted to Managing Partner – I watched him take on more and more responsibility as the years passed, and it just seems perfect that he is taking the reins of the firm. It really shows how we care for our own.