RC Connections
Russell Cellular firmly believes in contributing to the community. Through the impactful platform of RC Connections, we proudly showcase the incredible projects our team has collaborated on. Giving back stands as one of our core brand foundations, and at RC, we are dedicated to making a positive difference in people’s lives by extending care to each individual.
Partnerships that Inspire
Habitat For Humanity
American Heart Association
RC Connections 2026 – Leading, Caring, Improving Lives
RC Connections 2025 – From Crisis to Care
Russell Cellular’s commitment to comunity and recovery.
Leading With Heart
By Megan Price
When Krissa Shewey walked into her first wireless sales role in 2014, she was simply looking for a part-time job while attending college. Fast-forward a decade, and she’s now a Regional Director of Sales for Russell Cellular, leading eight district managers with a style rooted in reliability, service and empowerment…
Presence With Purpose
By Megan Price
Jamie Hall’s smile when he walks into one of his stores isn’t just part of the job. It’s the result of an intentional balance between work and life. As a long-time Russell Cellular leader and single dad, Jamie found joy and purpose in raising his son, who’s now in college. “Up until he went to school, it was always time with my son,” he says. These days, he leans into playing golf, watching sports and enjoying craft beer in the outdoors in his scenic Appalachian town…
Shelter from the Storm
By Mary Ellen Chiles
Hollie Banks, Store Manager in Spruce Pine, North Carolina, could only watch as Hurricane Helene hit the area last fall. Her house in nearby Burnsville stayed intact, but her driveway washed out. She also lost power and worried about colleagues she couldn’t reach. “No one knew what happened to people,” she recalls. She spent days at her sister’s house, returning home to help her neighbors cut trees so they could safely cross four properties and gain road access. It was a lot of work…
July 2024 – June 2025 Recognition
Home Office Contributions
$28,754
RC Cares Products Sold
5,309
RC Connections 2024 – A Culture of Care
Russell Cellular integrates its mission into every action, from giving back to maintaining excellence.
Being Present
By Sonia Guzman
Ali Zaidi, a Regional Director of Sales, has been an integral part of the Russell Cellular family for over five years. His life journey began in Pakistan, his birthplace, and continued when he and his family relocated to the United States when he was just five years old. After spending a decade in California, they settled in Northern Virginia, where they have remained ever since.
Thirteen years ago, Ali seized the opportunity to oversee five Verizon stores, which has expanded to 63, and he hasn’t looked back since…
Supporting Go Shout Love
By Mary Ellen Chiles
Through RC Cares, Russell Cellular is actively involved with many charities across the country. One of its strongest partners is Go Shout Love (GSL). GSL supports children with rare, serious medical conditions and their families.
GSL highlights one family each month. The family creates a T-shirt design, with proceeds benefiting the family. RC Cares Director Ron Wallace says GSL offers more than just money. “It’s more than just selling T-shirts,” he says. “They also help tell their story.” GSL creates videos of the family, then launches a social media campaign to spread the word each month…
Good By The Numbers
90
Go Shout Love applications received each year
$458,000+
Given to families from Go Shout Love
$56,000+
What Russell Cellular has raised for Go Shout Love
105
Go Shout Love families helped
RC Connections Fall 2023 – The Joy of Giving Back
Five years in, Russell Cellular’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity is going strong.
Cheers to RC Cares
By Juliana Goodwin
In less than five years, RC Cares has reached an incredible milestone: the program has raised more than $1 million to benefit communities across the country. While it began with a goal that Ron Wallace, Director of RC Cares, set in 2018, it was the result of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people coming together. “To be able to do it in less than five years is a testament to the heart of this company,” Ron says. RC Cares got started back in 2018 when Ron was hired to launch the philanthropic effort…
Building Up
By Ettie Berneking
As Regional Director of Sales, Kevin Ropell has traveled around the country. He’s worked in Tennessee, California and now Missouri, and one thing has stayed the same—he always makes a point of connecting with Habitat for Humanity. “I love this organization,” he says. “It’s mission of helping others fits into RC’s mission.” The first habitat builds took place in 2018 out in Cleveland, Tennessee. Habitat for Humanity of Cleveland got word that Russell Cellular team members in the area were looking for ways to get involved in the community. Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Tammy Johnson actually headed to an RC store to meet the team and see if they were interested in joining in on a build. Not only did team members help build a home, they raised more than $10,000 for the project. According to Habitat for Humanity at the time of print, most builds require around $75,000 to complete, which means RC’s single donation went a long way…
Rebuilding After the Flames
By Karen Bliss
Jared Gibney, a former Store Manager in Arcade, New York, received a phone call one afternoon from his fiancé. The news was not good; his house was on fire. “When I arrived home, the house was engulfed in flames, and we sat there for about two hours and watched our house burn,” he says. Jared says it was a draining experience, and after talking with the Red Cross and the fi re chief about the damage, their family was informed everything they owned was lost…
By The Numbers
Homes the RC teams helped build with Habitat
The number of hours RC team members have dedicated to builds
The amount of money RC has donated to Habitat for Humanity
States where RC has helped build a home
RC Connections Spring 2023 – A Team Effort
Whether it’s celebrating a successful RC Cares project or a new acquisition, the Russell Cellular team is dedicated to celebrating every win, big or small, together.
The Main Man Behind RC Cares
By Ettie Berneking
If a Russell Cellular team member has an unexpected bill come up, has a medical emergency that requires financial help, has a sudden tragedy in their family or knows of a cause in their community they want to aid, there’s a good chance they’ll end up talking with Ron Wallace. As Director of RC Cares, Ron is plugged into every EEF request, every payroll advance and every RC Cares project. That means there’s no typical week for Ron….
Top 5 RC Cares Projects
$30,808 raised for Jensen Lee Wallace
$27,000 raised for Baby Korra
$25,882 raised for Sharlette Robinson
$16,385 raised for AHA
$13,001 raised for Harger Utilities Charity to support veterans
RC Connections Fall 2022 – Back Together
In-person events are back! So are face-to-face trainings, RC Cares fundraisers and external projects like this Habitat for Humanity home build in Missouri that RC team members supported.
Servant Leadership
By Ettie Berneking
Brad Boman, an Area Vice President of Sales, has been with Russell Cellular for eight years, and he’s learned countless lessons about leadership and specifically servant leadership. One of Brad’s most impactful lessons about servant leadership came long before he joined the RC team. “Years ago, at Starbucks, I had the opportunity to work for a great market president who pulled me aside and told me the customer experience will never be better than your employee experience,” Brad says. “It was an inspiration. I had never heard servant leadership put into such simple words. People always focus outwardly and ask, ‘What does the customer think, feel and say?’ Really, you need to focus inwardly and think about what your team member says and how they feel because that’s what will impact your customer satisfaction and experience.” For Brad, servant leadership is all about putting his team first and making sure he’s available when they need him, and he’s providing what they need.
