Russ has been married to Barb for the last 43 years, and they have four children and four grandchildren, with a fifth grandchild expected in January 2026. He converted to the Catholic Church in 1998 and has found his faith to be very fulfilling in his life. He has been deeply involved in his local parish, The Church of the Ascension in Overland Park, KS, where he currently serves as a lector, sacristan, and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion.

For over two decades, Russ has been a dedicated servant leader at Ascension. He coached youth sports for 20 years and taught youth faith formation. He served as Cub Master, led Altar Servers and Sacristans, and has been the Liturgy Committee Chairman for the last 11 years. He has been involved in CRHP (Journey) for the last 20 years and was on the RCIA (OCIA) team for over 20 years. As a trained Faith Mentor from the Archdiocese School of Faith, he teaches men in developing a deeper prayer life. He has participated in the St. Ignatius Exercises and many other retreat programs through the church.

Russ assists in leading men’s outdoor faith programs, taking groups to Colorado to climb and hike in the mountains most summers, which has sponsored the foster care system in the area. He is the current Board President of Men Under Construction.

Professionally, Russ received a BS in Aerospace Engineering in 1980. He worked as a manufacturer’s representative, selling and engineering process control systems technologies for industrial and commercial industries, before founding a small electronics manufacturing company in 1995, which he owned and operated until his retirement in 2024.