As a child, Russell worked with his father, Lennard, installing venetian blinds. Later, when Lennard owned several car washes in Miami, Russell would work closely with his father operating and maintaining the car washes.
In 1976, Russell joined the fire department for the City of Miami. Several of his best friends were from his graduating class in fire college. Russell spent the majority of his time with Station 1 in downtown Miami, retiring after 25 years of work with the department. Russell joined the air supply services program, and was credited with making that program one of the most respected and advanced air supply programs in the entire country. Russell enjoyed making his rounds to the various stations to check on the air units, and during his visits to station 2, would stop and enjoy a piece of cake and a chat with his friend Dale.
Russell served as the Chairman of the City of Miami Firefighters Credit Union and Chairman of the City of Miami Firefighters and Police Pension Fund. He enjoyed serving on these boards with hisfriends such as Grant, Danny and John. During his tenure, the Pension Fund reached over $1 billion in assets, an important milestone for pension funds. Russell truly loved his work in both roles, and he got to know many of his friends through these roles. Many of the benefits that retired firemen and policemen enjoy today, not only in Miami but also throughout the country, werepioneered by Russell. Russell later served as an appointee of Governor Jeb Bush of Florida on the Florida State Board of Administration, an organization responsible for over $100 billion in pension assets on behalf of many Florida state employees, including teachers.
In 2003, Russell joined Intech as a Vice President and Product Specialist. His role involved meeting with many of the same people whom he had enjoyed working with and getting to know as a pension board member during his time as a firefighter. He often golfed with his clients and friends, such as Richard and Dwight. Russell was one of the most successful people in his field, having been responsible for bringing in billions in dollars in assets during his time with Intech. Russell loved to meet with his clients and in particular enjoyed playing golf with them.
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