Cushing Terrell Celebrates the Power of Our Women in Action ERG on International Women’s Day
In honor of International Women’s Day, we’re not only celebrating the wealth of talent at our firm — women driving us forward in every sphere of our work — but also showcasing the comradery and strength that comes from women supporting women.
One of the Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at Cushing Terrell is our Women in Action community, currently co-led by Melissa Edwards, a refrigeration engineer in Missoula, Montana, and Megan Cranston, a design technician in Denver, Colorado.
Our ERGs are grassroots, employee-led groups that have coalesced around shared identities and subjects important to them. The ERGs are one of the many ways in which team members create community and connections with each other across 17 offices and all the people working “remote” in locations where we don’t have offices. These types of initiatives help bring us all together in so many ways to support a strong, meaningful culture of belonging.
What is Women in Action?
According to Megan, “The Women in Action group’s mission is to build a trusting community where women can come together to learn, grow, connect, and empower each other in all aspects of their lives. We’re dedicated to supporting women in their personal and professional journeys, fostering a sense of belonging, and promoting gender equality and empowerment.”
Furthermore, the group holds firm on their support of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI+B) at Cushing Terrell and beyond.
Beyond their internal group support, Women in Action also serves as a crucial advocacy platform at Cushing Terrell. Members of the group are encouraged to offer suggestions to leadership, such as methods for the enhancement and advancement of women’s experiences at the firm and within the AEC industry more broadly.
The Women in Action group’s mission is to build a trusting community where women can come together to learn, grow, connect, and empower each other in all aspects of their lives. We’re dedicated to supporting women in their personal and professional journeys, fostering a sense of belonging, and promoting gender equality and empowerment.
Megan Cranston
Design Technician and ERG Co-Lead
Women in Action’s Yearly Mission and Focus
Each year, the group chooses a primary area of focus and in 2025, this was mentoring. They explored the opportunities available at Cushing Terrell and elsewhere. They shared personal experiences from both the mentor and mentee point of view.
“We hosted several guests who have served as mentors in the past. We also talked about how to empower each other, including what it means to be a sponsor,” Megan said.
The group also floated the idea of “reverse mentorship,” which pairs junior employees with senior leaders to share and grow expertise and knowledge on technology, social trends, and new perspectives.
“In 2026, we’re focusing on leadership,” Megan said “We’re exploring the varying opportunities for leadership at Cushing Terrell, what each of them entails, and how to get there. We also plan on having candid conversations about how to balance life, work, family, and personal aspirations. Our goal is to facilitate these question-and-answer sessions so that we’re more keyed into each other and can support each other and our goals and aspirations.”
The thought, time, and attention that goes into not only standing up an ERG, but also continuing the momentum and making the topics and activities relevant to the members can be considerable. But it’s also a labor of love and so important. Thank you to Megan, Melissa, past ERG co-leads, ERG members, and allies for making something meaningful to so many.
And to the women on our teams who contribute groundbreaking work and leadership in architecture, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture, planning, our operational groups, and more: we wouldn’t have gotten where we are today without you.
Here’s to another year of tremendous achievement for Cushing Terrell’s women leaders and achievers!
