CREW New Mexico Collaboration Secures More Than $1.5 million in Tax Refunds for Local Businesses
CREW New Mexico members Savannah Jermance and Larissa Byrd partnered in 2023 to secure tax refunds totaling more than $1.5 million for various businesses including construction, hair salons, and medical practices. Most of these clients were Byrd’s, with some being second-tier referrals from her direct clientele.
“We found common ground in an expectation of high service and data-backed, solid, and consistent results,” says Jermance about their collaboration.
Savannah Jermance, a Director of Business Incentives and Site Selection nationally with tax consulting firm Ryan, LLC, has been an active member of CREW New Mexico, serving the commercial real estate industry for over 12 years. Despite most of her business being outside the state, she maintains local relationships within her chapter while growing connections within CREW Network nationally. As soon as the opportunity arose to serve New Mexico businesses, she quickly mobilized her professional network to support these local businesses. Reflecting on past CREW New Mexico president Michelle Franks’ theme, “your network is your net worth,” Savannah exemplifies the value of strong professional connections.
Larissa Byrd, Vice President Commercial Banker with First Citizens Bank and over 12 years in commercial real estate, has also been an active CREW New Mexico member for many years. She and Jermance met while serving on the Outreach Committee in 2019 and bonded over their shared dedication to exceptional customer service. When Jermance first reached out to Byrd with this opportunity, Byrd quickly strategized the best way to deliver the message to her colleagues and clients. One hurdle in this process was gathering several very busy bankers to learn about a service adjacent to theirs including tax credits and incentives. Byrd suggested a one-hour “lunch and learn” format, which ultimately worked well.
“Savannah has been an amazing partner, and she has helped me create additional loyalty from my clients because of the quality service she provides,” Byrd remarked about the collaboration. “She is responsive and thorough and creates value in relationships.”
CREW members involved in this story
Ryan, LLC
First Citizens Bank