ccess Sciences turns 35 this year!

The company, formally known as Access Information Associates (AIA), was founded in 1985 by Janice Anderson when she set out to fulfill an emerging need for information management expertise. Since then, our team has expanded eight states across the U.S. and our areas of expertise have grown to encompass information governance, technology enablement, and business strategy.

To celebrate its anniversary and commemorate our years together as a company, two of our longest-tenured employees, Claudette Lloyd and Kathy Jordan, sat down to share their stories and experiences as a part of the Access Sciences team.

When did you first join Access Sciences? What was your first role with the company?

CL: I found Access Sciences in 2001. I had been living and working in Austin, Texas but was about to be married and knew I was moving to Houston. I attended a Special Libraries Association conference, and in one of the sessions I was in, they were talking about this company in Houston called AIA. I kind of put that down on my “when I move, I better call them” list because they sound interesting.

We were married in March, and I moved down here right after the honeymoon. I gave AIA a call, and Bill Anderson answered. I started to describe myself. I was like, “My name is Claudette Lloyd,” which – by the way – was new to me at the time. I described my background, and there was a pause.

He said, “Hm. Do you know Jim Lloyd?” And I said, “Well, I just married him actually!”

Bill knew Jim because my husband was a records manager for Conoco, and they had met each other at the recent ARMA (Association of Records Managers and Administrators) conference in Las Vegas. At the lunch, they just happened to sit together. But my husband knew them as Access Information Associates, so when I was telling him, “I’m going to talk to AIA,” he did not make that connection.

Anyway, I went in for an interview, and I met Janice. Of course, I really liked her and thought, “Yeah, I definitely want to work here.” I met everyone else and was just really excited when they offered me a position.

“I met Janice. Of course, I really liked her and thought, ‘Yeah, I definitely want to work here.’”

My first role was to scope out a library move project. It involved going, looking at their setup, estimating what it would take, and coming up with a project plan.

A month after I started that, we had to look for this project manager. We started interviewing people, and I got to interview Kathy Jordan. I, of course, was just really impressed with her and knew she’d be perfect for the role. I wasn’t making the hiring decision, but I got to give my recommendation, and I knew she was someone I’d want to work with. I knew I’d learn a lot from her, and I knew she’d do a great job – And she did! So, the rest is history.

KJ: I joined six weeks right after Claudette, and it’s funny because I don’t know that AIA was hiring a lot, and then all of the sudden it was like boom, boom – me and Claudette come on for this project need.

I took over that library scoping that she did, and my first project resource was a high school intern on summer break. That’s how much we have grown and changed over the years. It was just a totally different environment, but it was great!

I had just got laid off from an Internet startup company, and I got my resume out there. I had heard, when we were talking at the big layoff, that there’s this company, AIA, that hires librarians. And like Claudette, I sort of filed that away, went home, looked them up, got my resume together, sent it in, and got a call from Bill Anderson. He had me in for an interview the next day, I was hired, and the following Monday I was doing this library reorg.

So, that was my first project – me and this high schooler. It was funny! And then I moved on to other projects after that.

How has your role with the company grown and changed over the years?

CL: Well, we’ve kind of done it all – everything from assessments, records retention schedules, library moves. Although, I only scope those. I never actually did those.

One thing I have appreciated about Access Sciences is I’ve been able to follow my interests, and my interest has been taxonomy. I’ve really appreciated how I’ve been able to find something that I found interesting that’s in service to our clients, and I’ve been able to dive deep into it, get to understand it, and teach others how to do it.

“One thing I have appreciated about Access Sciences is I’ve been able to follow my interests.”

KJ: When Claudette said she met everyone in the office, that was five people. We were that small. We did have the Alaska office that Linda Baldwin was at. So, we did have more people, but in our immediate office, it was a pretty small environment.

But when we were brought on, you did everything. Like Claudette said – You scoped the work, proposed the work, wrote proposals, led projects. You were doing all of these things, so for that point in our careers, it was a great learning opportunity because we were given all of these chances to just try new things in a safe environment.

At the time, Janice and Bill were both working in the office. And Janice was actively delivering client work. So, you had the opportunity to work side-by-side with Janice. What I took away from one of our earliest meetings with Janice was that she was and is impeccable, and her reputation is impeccable.

When you would sit in a meeting with her, you would see how she was perceived by other people as a leader – It was just this presence that she had. She was impeccable in her word and her manner. I saw early on in my career that really meant something. It was great to have her as an example, to work side-by-side with her, and to learn that.

Since then, I’ve always carried that with me. I would love to always channel my inner Janice when I’m in my meetings and to remember those lessons.

I do believe Claudette and I were particularly blessed to have that opportunity.

CL: I would observe her in these meetings, and an issue or problem would come up – She always solved it. Any problem – big or small, she wouldn’t stop and think, “I can’t do that.” She would think, “Well, how can we fix that? What can we do?”

There could be something as small as technology not working, and she wouldn’t give up. She would just keep going until she figured it out, and I’ve taken that in my personal life too. If one of my kids is thinking they can’t do something, I’ll say, “OK, let’s figure it out.” And usually we can.

KJ: There’s definitely that roll-up-your-sleeves mentality, which was totally awesome. Another thing that can’t be understated: What Janice did at the time was really remarkable. Now, a woman founding a company successfully is more the norm. But at the time – especially in this industry, it was just a remarkable feat. I think we need to step back and remember how big of a deal that was. 35 years later, and it’s still going. She’s just a great role model in so many different ways for us.

“Another thing that can’t be understated: What Janice did at the time was really remarkable… 35 years later, and it’s still going.”

How has the company grown and changed over the years? How would you describe the company culture today?

CL: I think the fundamental culture has stayed the same, and that’s what has kept me for as long as it has. Like many people, if I felt stale somewhere, I would leave. But I’ve always been able to grow, have something new to learn, and have something new to try.

The other thing about our culture at that time in 2001, there was a small group of us. It was very collaborative. For years, Kathy and I were in the same room. But that’s great! You can be faced with something, and you just turn and ask, “What would you do? What’s your experience?”

Collaboration, respect – Clearly, we have a lot of respect for Janice, but she had respect for us. We had respect for each other. Kindness, education – I think each of us kind of fundamentally loves to help others, to teach others, so we do that for our clients and for each other. Those are qualities I don’t think we’ve ever lost. I appreciate that, and that’s why I’m still here.

KJ: I totally agree. I had always thought of us – especially back when I joined – as having a family-feel with both Bill and Janice in the office at the same time. And then even as we brought on other people, we still kept that family-feel. I still have that feeling now.

“I have always thought of us – especially back when I joined – as having a family-feel… Even as we brought on other people, we still kept that family feel.”

I say we’re extended. Even at our remote sites and whether it’s Houston, Oregon, or Louisiana, there is still a feeling of connectedness that Claudette was describing.

I feel like all of those things that were so important when I joined, Steve Erickson is embodying today. He is still bringing us together in that same way that Janice did.

So, I agree with Claudette. It’s all of those things. It’s not really a culture shift in my mind, it’s just that we’re doing more – We’re reaching further, we have more people to include.

Early in my career, I had read something or heard something that you spend more of your awake time with the people you work with than you do with you family. And that sort of woke me up. I thought about it, and I thought, “Gosh, that’s really true.” What I took from that is I have to really, really like who I work with. I have to respect what we do. I have to believe in what we do. And if I don’t, then I can’t stay.

Claudette and I – we’ve kind of grown up together. In a lot of ways, we have. If I did not have that bond with her, I couldn’t stay.

I do believe our culture has just… We have retained those same values.

CL: And that bond I form again and again. Absolutely with you, but every person I come across. I’ve been able to form that kind of bond with people, and I really appreciate that.

How has 2020 been for you? In what ways have you been able to stay connected with colleagues during the pandemic?

CL: On the project that I’m currently on, when we shifted to the home office, it coincided with a big push for data gathering. We kind of had to adjust and quickly become OK with being online. So, because we’ve been so busy, we’ve just stayed connected to our client team.

And then I’ve really appreciated the meetings that have been set up for my Access Sciences team to help me stay connected in that way through Microsoft Teams. I feel comfortable with the transition so far. I think it’s worked really well.

KJ: I’d say for me, I’m almost more connected than I was. I was so heads-down for a lot of my recent projects just sort of doing solo retention schedule work. It really was heads-down research and occasional pulling my head up and looking around me.

But now, I’m seeing people even more than I did. I love that we all use our cameras.

I am the biggest fan of that little phone feature on Microsoft Teams. In the past, I might email. Now, I just hit that little phone button, put my camera on, and call somebody to solve it.

I get to see Glenn Frederickson more than I have because we’re using our cameras. We’re talking more – it’s great! You think, “He’s in Baton Rouge, and I don’t get to see the Baton Rouge team that much.” But I do. If there is a benefit that comes out of this – as horrible as all of this is, the benefit is we certainly have found ways to stay connected, to reach out, and to stay engaged whether it’s internally or with clients.

“If there is a benefit that comes out of this – as horrible as all of this is, the benefit is we certainly have found ways to stay connected.”

What are your hopes for Access Sciences?

CL: I hope we just continue to grow, find new clients, and find new people who bring their own strengths and expertise while sticking with our fundamental culture.

I think that will happen because I’ve been here almost 20 years, and the fundamentals of what we believe in hasn’t changed. So, I have a lot of hope for the future. I think we’re going to do great.

“I’ve been here almost 20 years, and the fundamentals of what we believe in hasn’t changed. So, I have a lot of hope for the future.”

KJ: I am so impressed with everybody that we bring on. When I look around, my hopes are sort of realized every day with everybody new that I get to work with. I’m old enough now that I can talk about “the youth.” It’s fantastic – there’s so much energy, and there’s so many ideas.

When we were small, there were sometimes when I was like, “Can we do this? Do we have the skills or resources?” And now, because we are bigger and we’ve been able to invest in areas and in people, I’m always assured that we can deliver what we say we’re going to deliver – That we can do it great.

My hopes are just to keep growing.

What is your favorite Access Sciences memory?

CL: There’s too many! Kathy and I shared a lot while we sat in the old office, looking at the parking lot of Bellaire. We were both pregnant at the same time, and we shared that experience with our first-borns who are now 15. And I’ll always cherish that.

KJ: A funny memory is that after I finished that library project with Claudette, I was going to go work on my first big project with a big, multinational oil company. Linda and I were charged with developing a classification and retention structure, and I had to actually look up what a retention schedule was because I had never done it!

But that’s back to that idea of problem solving – rolling up your sleeves, studying to get it right, and refusing to give up. That structure is still in place 20 years later. It has definitely withstood the test of time because that company is still using it.

“That’s back to that idea of problem solving – rolling up your sleeves, studying to get it right, and refusing to give up.”

The other thing – like Claudette said, there’s just so many that I can’t characterize just one memory, but it’s definitely all of the laughter over the years. If I close my eyes, I can still hear Susan d’Herbes laughter down the hall – That rich, beautiful laughter.

We always found a way to laugh, and we still do. I think that’s just so important. Even in stressful situations, we always find a way to step back, take a breath, and then just laugh at some point and push forward.