For many years, Russell was the face of ACA International, appearing in countless TV interviews and testifying (twice) before Congress.
12/11/2019 11:00
Linda Russell’s 1991 election as ACA International president represented several firsts. To start, she was the first woman to hold the office. She was also the first association member from Wyoming to serve as president and the first ACA president to appear on CNN in her first week of office.
If you had to name iconic figures in the accounts receivable management (ARM) industry, Russell would most certainly be at the top of the list. By the time she became ACA’s 52nd president, Russell had been serving the association for close to 30 years, most notably by testifying before Congress and appearing on multiple TV interview shows on behalf of ACA and the ARM industry.
Russell was raised in the collection business. The debt collection agency she ran—CollectionCenter Inc., based in Rawlins, Wyoming—was started by her father, Clyde Cox, in 1919 and is currently celebrating its 100th anniversary. Over the years, three of Russell’s four children— Marcia, Debbie and Dan—worked in the company. Today, the company also has offices in Loveland, Colorado, and Casper, Wyoming, and is owned and operated by Dan, a former ACA board member.
Anne Rosso May, Collector magazine managing editor, caught up with Russell, now 83, by phone from her home in Wyoming to discuss her history-making election, her experiences working in the ARM industry, the time she met Oprah and more.
Read the complete interview with Russell in the December issue of Collector magazine.