About Anchored HR
We're the HR people you actually want to see at the company picnic.
Most people hear “HR wants to meet with you” and wonder what they did wrong.
We get it. Traditional HR has earned that reputation. But here’s the thing, we didn’t get into HR to be the workplace police. We got into it because we genuinely love helping businesses and their people succeed together.
Our Story
Anchored HR started with a simple observation: the best workplaces aren’t the ones with the fanciest policies or the most corporate processes. They’re the ones where real people solve real problems in ways that actually work.
We learned this lesson the hard way, spending years in corporate HR roles where we saw too many great ideas get buried under red tape and too many good managers get overwhelmed by people challenges they weren’t trained to handle. We watched small businesses struggle with HR issues that had straightforward solutions, if only someone would take the time to understand their unique situation.
So we decided to do something different. We created an HR firm that puts people first—not policies, not compliance checklists, but actual human beings trying to build something meaningful together.
Michelle Russell, PHR
Co-Founder & Principal HR Partner
Michelle’s journey into HR started at Via Christi Hospitals, where she quickly discovered that the most rewarding part of any job was helping solve the people challenges that kept leaders up at night. Over more than a decade in healthcare, senior living, and technology companies, she’s become an expert at translating corporate best practices into solutions that actually work for growing businesses.
Michelle holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, is a certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), and has a Paralegal degree that comes in handy more often than you’d think. But what really sets her apart is her ability to see the human side of every business challenge.
When she’s not helping clients build stronger teams, you’ll find Michelle exploring Wichita’s restaurant scene (she has strong opinions about the best tacos in town), volunteering in the community, or spending time with her family.
Experience
10+ years helping healthcare, senior living, and technology companies build stronger teams and navigate complex people challenges.
Top-rated
Certified PHR by the Human Resource Certification Institute with proven success guiding organizations from startups to 500+ employees through compliance, growth, and culture transformation.
Industry expert
Healthcare and technology specialist, with deep expertise in HIPAA compliance, clinical staffing, remote work policies, and startup equity structures.
Alana McNary, PHR, SHRM-CP, FPC
Co-Founder & Strategic HR Partner
Alana brings 16 years of manufacturing and engineering HR experience to every client relationship. She’s the person you want on your team when you’re dealing with complex safety regulations, multi-generational workforce dynamics, or the challenge of finding skilled workers in a competitive market.
A proud Wichita State University graduate with degrees in Human Resources and Management, Alana holds both PHR and SHRM-CP certifications and has been recognized multiple times by the Wichita Business Journal for her HR leadership, including being named HR Professional of the Year in 2019.
But ask Alana what she’s most proud of, and she’ll tell you about the managers she’s coached into confident leaders and the workplace cultures she’s helped transform. When she’s not working with clients, you’ll find her fostering rescue dogs (over 30 and counting!), cheering on her two boys, or finding new ways to give back to the Wichita community.
Experience
16+ years solving real-world HR challenges in manufacturing and engineering environments where operations and safety are critical.
Top-rated
Certified PHR, SHRM-CP, FPC by the Human Resource Certification Institute, the Society for Human Resource Management, and the American Payroll Association, as well as Recognized by Wichita Business Journal as HR Professional of the Year and nominated for Kansas SHRM's highest honor.
Industry expert
Manufacturing and engineering authority, with expertise in multi-generational workforce management, safety compliance, and skilled worker retention.
What Makes Us Different
We speak your language.
Whether you’re running a manufacturing shop, a healthcare practice, or a growing tech company, we understand your world. Michelle brings deep experience from healthcare, senior living, and technology companies, while Alana has spent 16 years solving HR challenges in manufacturing and engineering. Between us, we’ve seen just about every people challenge a growing business can face.
We handle the have-to-dos so you can focus on the want-to-dos.
Yes, we’ll make sure your employee handbook is legally compliant and your job descriptions are up to date. But we don’t stop there. We also help you figure out how to keep your best people, how to hire faster without sacrificing quality, and how to build the kind of culture that becomes your competitive advantage.
We’re business partners, not just HR vendors.
When you call us with a “people problem,” we don’t just ask what happened—we ask how it’s affecting your business goals. Because great HR isn’t about having perfect policies; it’s about building teams that help you achieve what you’re trying to accomplish.
We get that every business is different.
The HR approach that works for a 30-person restaurant won’t work for a 100-person manufacturing company. We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions, and we definitely don’t believe in making you change your culture to fit our systems.
Ready to Transform Your People Practices?
If you’re tired of HR feeling like a necessary evil instead of a business advantage, let’s talk.
Whether you need help with a specific challenge or want to build a comprehensive people strategy, we’re here to help you create the kind of workplace where both your business and your people can thrive. Because at the end of the day, great businesses are built by great teams, and great teams don’t happen by accident.