Meet Our Team

Paula is affectionately called the The Fixer, as she is known to make things happen. She is a trusted, caring advisor to giving clients who experience sudden wealth or difficult life transitions. She knows your crossroads.

She personally has lived through both triumph and loss and knows how to design financial well-being and strives to cultivate peace of mind. GranVida Wealth was born was born from Paula’s deep understanding of the twists and turns life may bring, her passion for the power of living purposefully, and how giving back enriches our lives.

GranVida serves clients who value tailored, personal advice and compassionate care. If you are asking: What next? Will I have enough? Will I recover and thrive after loss or a setback? Will the sale of my business sustain my future? How do I change gears, not just retire? How do we plan our charitable giving with our children and our grandchildren? How do I pass on my legacy? Paula will guide you collaboratively to clarity and implement not simply the right financial strategies for your unique needs, but transformative and life-affirming solutions.

Paula’s life work is to inspire the life you love; one that brings joy and peace even through uncertain times. Challenges and closing doors are a natural rhythm in life, but with experienced wealth management, planning and advice tailored to your families’ and business’ unique needs, and quite possibly breathing techniques, the advisors at GranVida aspire to guide you you to elevate and create the future you imagine, perhaps even to places you never imagined you would go.

GranVida cares for the financial well-being of multi-generational families in Texas, New York, and California including wealth building, philanthropic and investment strategies, and financial planning. Paula was born in Santiago, Chile and her first language was Spanish. She attended Loretto Academy preparatory and went on to achieve being selected as the first Truman Scholar from the University of Texas at El Paso while receiving her degree in the Liberal Arts Honors Program. She lived in New York City for many years where she received her Master’s in International and Public Affairs from Columbia University in Economics and Policy.

Paula’s life of service and purpose includes serving as a Legislative Aid to her Congressman, rebuilding the South Bronx, and managing community relations as one of the youngest Vice President’s at Citigroup in New York. She began her wealth management practice at Smith Barney in Dallas, Texas and founded GranVida in 2013. She currently serves on the Boards of Miles of Freedom and Bryan’s House in Dallas and is on the advisory committee of the Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute. She was a founding board member of Chiapas International which expanded micro-lending tools to the poorest women in Latin America by connecting philanthropic women in Dallas to the cause. Paula has one son, Agustin. She is an avid traveler and loves cooking and dinner parties, yoga, reading, and the arts. She is also devoted to serving at her parish, St. Rita’s Catholic Church, and to policy-based philanthropy and services that lead to wealth building and life affirming changes.

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” Mark Twain

David Cohn began his wealth management career in 2002 working alongside his father Gerry Cohn, helping people achieve the goals in life that are most important to them. In David’s own words:

“Dad believed that if we took care of our clients and treated them like family, the growth of our practice would take care of itself, and over the years that has proven to be true. Our philosophy is that we can add tremendous value by helping our clients follow sound disciplined principles of financial planning and wealth management and avoid making mistakes that can prevent the achievement of a well-constructed long-term plan.”

David believes the cornerstone of a successful client/advisor relationship is the mutual trust and respect that develops over time and he is deeply committed to helping his clients realize their long-term financial goals. He provides a comprehensive approach to wealth management, risk management and estate planning strategies to individuals, families, business owners, retirees, and executives.

David employs the vast resources of both Steward Partners, and Raymond James, one of the largest financial services firms in the nation. He brings together the right expertise and tailored financial solutions designed to meet his clients’ specific needs. He works diligently to meet his clients’ expectations with a client centered service model, defined investment process and the desire of being his client’s trusted wealth advisor for life.

Prior to beginning his investment management career, David’s resume’ includes information technology sales and marketing for companies such as Dell Computer, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle Corporation. David received his undergraduate degree and MBA from The University of Texas at Austin. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional.

Originally from San Antonio, Texas, David is active in the community as a volunteer for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the San Antonio Food Bank and also financially supports the United Way and the Meals on Wheels “AniMeals” program. A member of The Club at Sonterra, David enjoys playing both pickleball and tennis. He and his wife Lisa have four children, Heather, Austin, Danielle, and Katherine.

As a member of GranVida Wealth, Valerie works with her financial advisors to find the most effective ways to serve clients’ desires and goals. Proactive and dedicated, Valerie works diligently to listen to and address any questions, concerns and needs clients may have. Her goal is to exceed clients’ expectations and help instill in them the confidence that they and their families have an entire team working toward their success

Valerie transitioned to a financial services career after 13 years in education. Working with a team at First Union Securities in 1999, she was asked to join them as their dedicated client associate when the team made a move to Prudential Securities in 2001. In 2004, she was asked to join the Cohn Group, and in 2018 moved with the team to join Raymond James. Valerie holds Series 7, 63 and 65 securities licenses as well as insurance licensing.

When she’s not in the office, Valerie can be found antiquing and junking. She and her husband, David, have three adult children and five grandchildren. They relish weekends and holidays, working and playing at the family ranch, and spend ample time fishing for reds on the Texas coast in Rockport. For Valerie, family is everything. She’s also an active member and volunteer for her church.

Annette is committed to providing clients the premier service they deserve paired with the caring, boutique-style atmosphere of a hometown practice. No matter what questions or requests they have, clients can rely on Annette to find a solution that meets their needs.

Annette was inspired to join the financial services field because she was seeking a career where she could cultivate meaningful relationships with clients that would last for years to come, all while in a fast-paced and engaging environment.

Before joining Raymond James in 2019, Annette worked at Frost Bank, a large Texas-based bank, for 13 years. Her tenure there helped give her the skills and opportunities to develop professionally and learn the importance of making client’s needs, her priority. As a key member of GranVida Wealth, Annette is proud to continue applying the lessons she learned in her past position and providing quality service to clients from all walks of life.

Born and raised in San Antonio, Annette enjoys jogging in the warm Texas weather, listening to live music and traveling to new places with her family.