What began as a temp job in 2009 has led to Alana Hunt becoming one of Verus’ longest-serving veterans.

Back then, she had her eyes on becoming a nurse. “I finished my pre-reqs for nursing school, and I was getting ready to leave, but they sat me down and said, ‘We don’t want you to go,’” Alana recalls. “So I talked to a lot of people in my life, including the nurses who were training me, and they told me they’d never heard anyone talk about a job like I did about Verus. That’s one of the things I loved and still love about Verus – the culture.”

She hasn’t looked back at a role that has given her growth and the ability to balance work and life. For a while, Alana’s was the first smile greeting clients and partners at the front desk. But as years passed and her institutional knowledge grew, Alana became the go-to for technology issues — for internal IT needs, as well as managing a host of connected applications to Charles Schwab and other client and financial planner tools. Today, she is trusted by Verus financial planners and tax advisers to help administrate client records and accounts.

Julie Waitman, Verus’ senior vice president and chief compliance officer, calls Alana the firm’s “light” — a bright spot on the team who is deeply engaged with staff and clients.

And she has no regrets about passing on becoming a nurse. “There are great people here who have given me the ability to grow outward. It was absolutely the right decision,” she says. “Verus has been the perfect fit because of our shared values of strong character, truth, and going the extra mile for those we serve.”

Alana and her husband, RJ, have two twin Labrador brothers, Ricky and Bobby (if you didn’t catch that, it’s a reference to the movie Talladega Nights). She has volunteered at the local SPCA shelter and the Richmond International Airport USO, and currently serves on the sound team at her local church.