Dana Asevado, Administrative Assistant for Crescent Towing and Cooper/T. Smith Mooring, was introduced to the maritime industry in a rather unusual manner. Before joining the Cooper Group of Companies, Dana was the owner of a private investigation business, which mainly focused on examining workers compensation claims. With a majority of claims coming from the maritime industry, the curtain was pulled back and Dana’s eyes were opened to a whole new world.
After enduring more than 13 years of the grueling hours demanded by her life as a P.I., a business she had been part of in some form or another since just after high school, Dana decided it was time to focus more on her family. After making the tough decisions to leave the business, Dana joined Crescent Towing in September 2009 as a full-time Administrative Assistant. In this role she worked side-by-side with Tina Adams, current Director of Administration, and Philip Katz, current Vice President, to assist with handling billing and collections for the company.
After several years, though happy with her role at Crescent Towing, Dana wanted to expand her horizons, personally and professionally. “I always had the goal of getting my college degree,” Dana said, “but it was something that I had always kept putting aside. Finally, I found time to enroll in night school and in August 2015 I received my Bachelor of Science degree.” Not one to slouch, she followed that up with earning her Master’s in Business with an emphasis in Human Resources in December 2017.
“Completing my degree gave me a real confidence boost, reaffirming that I could take on more responsibilities at Crescent Towing,” she enthused.
With her confidence reaffirmed, Dana sought to expand her responsibilities by stepping into the world of Cooper/T. Smith Mooring (CTS Mooring). Along with her Crescent Towing responsibilities, she began handling collections for CTS Mooring and even served as a backup member for its billing department. When the opportunity arose to assume full responsibilities of billing for CTS Mooring, Dana’s experience allowed her to quickly take the reins and find success.
Currently, she handles all billing and collections for CTS Mooring. “Billing and collections are more than just entering numbers and sending invoices,” she explained. “Our group is responsible for ensuring jobs are done correctly, verified with the customer or their agent, and the work is accepted.”
As one might imagine, collections work can be time consuming and requires a great deal of patience. “Sometimes it can be difficult getting customers to respond,” she said. “Each day I review the monthly collections report and follow-up so outstanding invoices don’t go unpaid.” Dana has grown to enjoy the collections side of the business just as much as the billing. “With collections I feel the work I do and the progress made each day is tangible. I can see the results of my work and scratch it off my collections report.”
Due in part to Dana’s leadership and expertise, the billing and collections departments at Crescent Towing and CTS Mooring operate like well-oiled machines. Though the team is small, its members work well together – a trait Dana values. “We’ve gotten the billing department to a point where if one of us is out of the office for any length of time,” she proudly stated, “another member of the team can step in without missing a beat and handle that person’s duties until they return, guaranteeing continuity of service for our clients.”
It’s such dedication, efficiency, and professionalism that make Dana an invaluable member of the Cooper Group of Companies.