Meet the ERG: Disability and Critical/Chronic Illness at SWCA with Anne Russell

Meet Anne Russell, the Principal Geospatial Sciences Program Lead for the Greater North region and co-lead of SWCA’s Disability and Critical/Chronic Illness Employee Resource Group (DCCI ERG) alongside Kelsey Gonzales, an Associate Project Manager. Anne shares what leading the ERG means to her and the group’s current priorities.

Q: Hi, Anne! Thank you for your time today. Would you like to get started by telling us about yourself and your career?

Anne Russell, a Principal Geospatial Sciences Program Lead

A: I’ve been with SWCA for over 17 years. I started as a part-time GIS tech in Albuquerque, NM and worked my way up to a principal program lead. I’m passionate about teaching GIS through mentoring my direct reports and helping develop standards and tools for the team. There’s always something to learn in GIS, so it means a lot to me when I can help an emerging GIS professional.

Q: What are your interests outside of work?

A: My hobbies center around relaxation; I enjoy painting, drawing, birding (and taking pictures of birds to use as art references), and I consider myself a Lego master! My house has a room dedicated to Legos for building my own intricate castle designs. Gidget, my beloved rescue boxer, is incredibly special to me.

Q: What does leading the Disability and Critical/Chronic Illness ERG mean to you, and how did you become involved with it?

A: When I had breast cancer in 2021 it was harrowing. A group of women at SWCA came together for me and they made a huge difference in my life. They supported me with care packages and meals, listened to me, and helped me get through treatment. Within about a year of completing treatment, I discovered I wanted to contribute something of my own to pay it forward in this space. I had the idea to create a Critical and Chronic Illness ERG, but upon connecting with Stacy Mitchell, founder of the Disability Champions ERG, we realized there was more opportunity in merging the groups.

This is part of my journey – I want to tell my story to empower other survivors. People go through all kinds of challenges. As a leader, I strive to be an ear for group members with critical illness, chronic illness, and disability alike. It’s about being a true listener and ally, and respectful of others’ confidentiality.

Q: What are the goals and activities of the group?

A: The DCCI ERG is actively collaborating with leadership to enhance our safety manual and program to better support employees with disabilities and critical or chronic illnesses. We’re also partnering with leadership to address accessibility considerations for Gives Back events across the company.

Q: As OneSWCA, how can we work toward more unity, understanding, and positive beliefs about individuals with disabilities, critical illnesses, and chronic illnesses?

A: We as a company can increase awareness internally of issues that affect people with disabilities, critical, and chronic illnesses. We can start with the fact that scary things can happen to anyone, that most disabilities and illnesses are invisible, and that stigma keeps many employees from opening up about their struggles. We can change things for the better by helping each other more, and recognizing that people with disabilities, critical, or chronic illnesses contribute great things to this company and deserve respect, understanding, and support.