Faulk says working for city of Abbeville is never dull

Kathy Faulk has been a devoted employee of Abbeville City Hall for the past 14 years. She is grateful to have a wonderful job, doing what she loves the most, so close to home.
Kathleen “Kathy” Faulk, a Kaplan resident, is the daughter of Levi and Eula Schexnider. She is a 1983 Kaplan High School graduate. She attended UL where her love of math and accounting lead her to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in business administration. After graduating from college, Faulk’s first job was a managerial position at a formal wear store located in the Acadiana Mall. She only remained there a year, as she actively sought a job in banking.
“When I went to UL, I knew I wanted to work in banking,” she explains.
Faulk was hired by First Louisiana Federal Savings Bank in Lafayette shortly before they were acquisitioned by St. Landry Bank in 1990. There, her job position fluctuated and over the next decade she would work as a teller, new accounts and payroll clerk, loan department administrator, and assistant to the Auditor.
She says her final role, as assistant to the

auditor, was very interesting. Overall, it helped pave the way for Faulk’s current job with the City of Abbeville. “It’s neat to think about all the things I learned at St. Landry Bank, because I use all those skills here.”
After the birth of her second child, Faulk began to search for employment closer to home as the daily commute to Opelousas became arduous. She applied for the secretary/treasurer position with the City of Abbeville, and was hired. Her first day of employment was on September 10th, 2001 – the day before the attack on the World Trade Center. She recalls the way she felt on Sept. 11. “It was odd. I was trying to fit in at a new place, and then this happens! It was very weird.”
Today, Kathy’s job is multifaceted. As the secretary, she is in charge of recording and transcribing the City Council meeting minutes, as well as the City’s agenda, publications, and ordinances. As the City’s Treasurer, Faulk oversees Abbeville’s funds, accounting, and payroll. In addition to these two roles, Kathy is also the Supervisor of the City Hall staff, a job which entails scheduling and reporting directly to the Mayor on any pertinent changes that affect the daily City Hall operations.
Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza enjoys working with Faulk and is pleased with her job performance.
“Kathy comes from the banking industry,” Mayor Mark Piazza said. “Her expertise, of course, is finances. She handles our finances very well. She watches it very carefully for us and lets us know anytime there is anything out of line. She is a very pleasant individual and great to work with.”
“I put her in charge of city hall, where she has complete authority over the operation here at city hall. She has handled that very, very well. She puts in a lot of hours here, and I never see her when she doesn’t have a smile on her face.”
The most exciting aspect of Kathy’s job is during a hurricane, when she and a few other employees staff the emergency lines. “Four or five of us spent the night here, answering phones. That is always fun to do.”
Faulk considers herself fortunate to have such a rewarding position.
“This job is real challenging. It is a pleasure to work here. There is always something new. I really like my job. I am hoping to get 30 years in here, and then retire. I hope to continue working here until that point.”
She spoke highly of the people she works with.
“The Mayor and Council are good people to work for,” she said. “We have great people that work here at City Hall. It makes your job easy when they know their job. Some of the ladies have been here for over 30 years. It’s a little family here, a little team, and we all work together. God willing, I will stay here until I retire. The only regret is that I wish I had worked here my whole career. It’s a good job!”
Outside of work, Faulk’s hobbies include baking, reading mystery novels, and spending time with her family. She has been married for 30 years to her high school sweetheart Dennis Faulk, a teacher at Rene Ross Middle School in Kaplan. Together they have two sons: Matthew (24) and Britt (15).