Women Worth Watching 2015

LaVon D. Chancy

Milligan & Company’s Tax Director Is Helps Clients Find Optimal Business Solutions

 

web Milligan_ChancyAs Milligan & Company’s director of tax and small business advisory services, LaVon Chancy helps individual and small-business clients develop and execute comprehensive and seamless solutions designed to maximize their after-tax income. LaVon is consistently recognized as the “go-to” among her clients for guidance in tax planning, as well as working with their other service providers to produce optimal business solutions.

LaVon began her career with Milligan & Company almost nine years ago, as a senior tax accountant. After being promoted to the role of director of tax, she realized that her department did much more than provide tax services and expanded the department to include business advisory services. LaVon continues to oversee the strategic direction of the department and provide tax advice to high-net-worth individuals, not-for-profit organizations, and small- and medium-sized businesses, including those involved in the mergers and acquisitions process.

“My biggest career leap,” said LaVon, “was being promoted from Senior Tax Accountant to my current position. I learned that, although technical skills are important, having good people skills, and the ability to influence others to get onboard with your vision are what make a true leader successful.

Away from the office, LaVon’s passion lies in serving her community, educating children, and giving others a chance for a better life. Through the United Way and other community organizations, she regularly participates in service projects, such as cleaning up local parks, running food drives, and mentoring high school students. She has chaired Milligan’s annual United Way Campaign, and currently serves on the board, as treasurer, of the Faith Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping residents in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia with issues of housing, unemployment, and poverty.

LaVon holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a Juris Doctor from Temple University. She is a CPA, a certified QuickBooks™ ProAdvisor, and a member of the Pennsylvania State Bar Association.

 

“…with God and some determination, you can accomplish just about anything.”

 

Education: BS Accounting and JD, Temple University

First Job: In high school, making sandwiches and cheese steaks at a local convenience store

What I’m Reading: At church, I am currently teaching a Bible study series on team development and what successful teams look like. Therefore, I am reading the Bible every day.

 

The most important quality a woman leader should have is…

…integrity. I should note that I don’t think this is a gender-specific quality, as it is equally important for both men and women to have integrity in the workplace.

The career advice I’d give my former self:

… I would tell myself to come out of my shell a bit more; to connect and network more, as “who you know” is a very important part of business.

Words I live by:

… “Oh well.” I’ve learned that I can’t change everything or everyone, so I work on getting better at the things I can control, and, to everything else I say, “oh well.”

The one thing I’d do differently in my career, knowing what I know now, is…

…to be more assertive; don’t be afraid to voice your opinion and start conversations that might “make waves.”

When I really need to focus on a project, I…

…shut everything else out and dig into the project.

My biggest career leap (and what I learned from it) was…

…when I was promoted from Senior Tax Accountant to my current position at Milligan & Company, I learned that, although technical skills are important, having good people skills and the ability to influence others to get onboard with your vision are what make a true leader successful.

Being a woman in my profession has been…

…being the first in my immediate family to graduate from college and then to become an attorney and CPA, I’ve been able to show others that—regardless of your background—with God and some determination, you can accomplish just about anything.

I’ve learned that failure is…

…a part of your growth process, both personally and professionally.

I maintain a healthy personal life by…

…living the notion that laughter is the best medicine.

I knew my present career was what I wanted to do when…

…I took a bookkeeping class my junior year of high school and loved it.