Kanela began her career in real estate in 1977 and then founded her own real estate firm, Kanela & Company, in September of 1981.  In 1985 Kanela & Company moved to its current location at The Waterford as the first tenant in the building.  Kanela has located numerous properties for clients & investors in both residential and commercial areas. She established an outstanding reputation and market presence in the real estate brokerage industry and is widely recognized for her professionalism and integrity.

In the 1980’s, several banks asked Kanela to bring her talents to Grand Lake and start an office there.  For almost 10 years, Kanela & Company boasted a satellite office in the GRDA area.  In addition to this, Kanela & Company was named a minority woman owned business and became a realtor for the RTC in the early 1990’s.  She helped facilitate numerous commercial transactions, including several hotels, during this time frame.  (81)

In November 2020 Kanela merged her company with McGraw Realtors.  This not only enhanced her business, but brought it to a whole new level.  Kanela said at the time of the merger, “This collaboration feels right because even though McGraw is a large organization, they are also a family with core values of service, professionalism and personal attention.” The newly christened Kanela & Co at McGraw Realtors is built on a core set of values of staying loyal, tenacious, and committed to our clients. Kanela loves helping her customers and has as much fun with the first-time buyer as she does with her multi-million dollar investors. (110)

Kanela derives the most pleasure from giving back to the community.  Along with being named Journal Record’s “Woman of the Year”, her many philanthropies over the years have included Lyric Theater Board of Directors, Impact Oklahoma, Junior League of OKC, & Arthritis Foundation Board of Directors.  Huff even co-founded the first Teen Suicide Hotline at OU Health Science Center in 1984 in conjunction with the movie “Surviving”, which is still in operation today.  She has also supported the Red Bud Classic, the OK Heart Foundation, Suited for Success and Habitat for Humanity.  Most recently she has actively been working on fundraising for the newly formed Way Home Fund, which supports housing OKC’s homeless. (115)

Kanela loves going the extra mile both philanthropically and in her business.  Her expertise is far-reaching and covers a wide spectrum of needs.  She looks forward to serving the Oklahoma City Metro and surrounding areas for years to come. (40)