A New Voice and a New Role: Inside SNAP Financial Access
“I love actually getting to have client meetings,” says Amy Biviano, SNAP Financial Access’s new Small Business Coordinator. She regales the story of a client who was previously able to buy her first house through SNAP – and is now starting her own business thanks to Amy’s support. Amy understands how important this is to her clients, and recognizes the long and winding journeys clients take on their way to receiving this support
Amy came to SNAP as a CPA with her MBA from Gonzaga University, along with 10 years of experience in nonprofit accounting, but Amy’s new role at SNAP Financial Access (SFA) gave her a chance to pair her nonprofit experience in a new and dynamic way, which excites her.
A former small business owner herself, Amy’s previous work experience was vast. Beyond her own entrepreneurship, Amy has worked for a number of nonprofits and advocacy organizations, so when she found this job at SNAP, she knew she had the skills and education to be able to make a difference.
“What inspires me about this role is that I can take a business education to make a real difference in people’s lives,” says Amy. “I’ve met with all kinds of people already who just have the most amazing, heartfelt ideas. And I get to put them into practice!”
Perhaps that compassion comes from her own lived experience. On top of her entrepreneurship experience and nonprofit accounting work, Amy comes to SNAP as someone who has overcome considerable challenges due her epilepsy diagnosis.
“I was diagnosed with epilepsy a semester before I started at Yale,” says Amy. Though able to graduate on time, she continues to live with a fairly rare type epilepsy. At one point, she was having as many as 200 seizures per day and has had three brain surgeries. Previously she worked with University of California – San Francisco (UCSF) to engage in a study for her specialized type of epilepsy. Given that the research took place in California, Amy gave up much of her time to travel back-and-forth as needed to participate. Although this study did not directly impact Amy, the results from the study enabled UCSF to develop an implant that provides speaking ability for people with certain types of brain damage.
“I was fortunate I could afford to participate in this study, and that I had an employer that allowed that flexibility,” says Amy. This experience helped her see the potential of SNAP as a home for her career.
“I’ve been in nonprofits for a long time and seen a lot of different cultures,” says Amy. “And this is far and away the most supportive culture I’ve ever seen. It’s been really amazing.”
Part of what makes this culture so supportive can be attributed Karen Campbell, SNAP’s Director of Financial Stability, who oversees SFA programs.
Although Karen has only been in this Director position since August, she has been at SNAP for far longer. She started at SNAP nine years ago as an Energy Assistance Information Specialist. Karen speaks fondly about her first year at SNAP, remarking on the wonderful teammates who enhanced her experience.
“They made me feel like family,” says Karen. “It really helped me connect with the community at-large of Spokane, because I had never really lived in a community like this before.”
As a former restaurant owner, Karen came with considerable business experience that made her an excellent choice to lead a refugee lending program a year after she joined SNAP. She then transitioned into other roles helping to steward small businesses within SFA before landing on her current role as Director of Financial Stability. The combination of business, research, and social service tools she learned during her first year at SNAP have helped she and her teammates excel.
Given the importance of business development and preservation – especially in a time of quarantine – SFA’s business development team shows a promising future for our entire region. Amy joins SFA’s Women’s Business Center manager, Nicolle Hansen, and SFA Business Lenders, Jeanette Radmer, Greg Franson, and Tammy Byrnes. Karen leads the way on a team that she calls “brilliant.”
“I’m excited about the role we play in the economic recovery of our region. We have some stretch goals over the next few years, but I think they’re attainable.” says Karen. “We have programs that can really help people save their homes, save their businesses. And the team we have – decades of experience of people who are really qualified and really care.”