The New Orleans chapter of the Human Resource Management Association helped CityBusiness select the year’s honorees, which were chosen based on a questionnaire of benefits offered, including average salary, health care, paid time off and employee programs, coupled with an online survey of employees.

What makes Deveney Communication one of the city’s best places to work is the way it embodies the culture of the city and exudes pride in its own culture within the confines of the workplace.

“I’m proud to be honored by CityBusiness as a great place to work,” founder John Deveney remarked, “I created Deveney to be a place I would always enjoy coming to work each day and I am so glad our employees feel the same way.”

Based in a small, private complex of studio apartments in the Marigny right outside the French Quarter, Deveney’s 10 full-time employees enjoy more of a family atmosphere than would be found at most other workplaces. Enjoying coffee together in the morning, sharing personal stories at lunch with the rest of the team and celebrating professional success are some of the ways the Deveney staff function together more as a family than as a company. And Deveney Communication treats its employees well, with competitive salaries, benefits packages and no limit on sick days.

Deveney enjoys a deep involvement with the living and growing city through relationships with its variety of clients, including those with strong ties to New Orleans and the state of Louisiana. Partnerships with the Young Leadership Council, Louisiana Office of Tourism, LSU Health Care Services Division, Touro Infirmary and more allow Deveney’s employees to gain professional experience in a medley of areas and provide several outlets for them to give back to the city they call home.

Yet, the Deveney umbrella reaches farther than the city limits of New Orleans. Deveney caters its services to a clientele including national and international entities like Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Planet Beach and Starbucks Coffee Company. It is a unique culture and attitude that allows a small firm like Deveney Communication to compete for clients of such stature. That culture prioritizes efficiency and healthy, working relationships which is emphasized not only in their actual professional work, but also in their regular outreach and communication the firm makes to clients.

The honorees will be recognized at a special luncheon at noon on December 11, 2009 at the Sheraton on Canal Street, where the top three Best Places to Work in each category will be announced. A special publication profiling all honorees will run inside the December 14th issue of CityBusiness.