Born March 10, 1947, Erie, Pennsylvania, the son of William A. Russell of Augusta, Georgia and Hulda Carolyn Gregory of Durham, North Carolina.

Graduated Hammond High School Alexandria, Virginia.

B.S. Political Science and Economics 1969 University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Attended University of North Carolina School of Law 1969-1971 and further studies in international relations at Georgetown University.

1972 - 1977: Served on the campaign staff and in the administration of former North Carolina Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr.

1972, 1976: Staff member the campaigns of Presidents Nixon and Ford

1977 - 1978: Organized the first campaign of U.S. Senator John W. Warner (R-VA)

1980 - 1981: Managed 29 transition teams Office of President-elect Ronald Reagan.

1981 - 1986: Director of the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, Federal Communications Commission

1986 - present – President of William Russell & Associates, Inc, Alexandria, VA, a government and public affairs consulting firm

1988 - 1989: Managed telecommunications and information systems in the Office of President-elect George Bush

1987 - present: Director and partner, Topsail Broadcasting, Inc. licensee of WZXS-FM, Topsail Beach, NC

1998: President & COO of RoyalTel Communications, Ltd. Of Alexandria, VA, a start-up competitive local exchange carrier

Jan 1996  - Jul 1997: Member, Virginia Public Telecommunications Board by appointment of Governor George Allen

Jul 1997 - present, Member, Virginia Public Broadcasting Board by appointment of Governor Allen, currently serving as Vice Chairman

1996 - present Member City of Alexandria /U.S.S. Alexandria (SSN 757) Liaison Committee by appointment of the City Council

Author of the Chapter "The Federal Communications Commission" in Mandate for Leadership III, The Heritage Foundation, Washington, 1988 and co-author with Congressman Howard Coble (R-NC) of the article "Video Terrorists on the Horizon?", Broadcasting, February 2, 1987.

Registered lobbyist United States Congress. Listed Who’s Who in the East, Who’s Who in American Politics, and Who’s Who in the World.