Russ was raised in Rhode Island in a city north of Providence called Central Falls. It is an old industrial revolution age city built around the factories on the banks of the Blackstone River. He worked as a paperboy, fast food server and factory worker to help pay for his Catholic high school education. His father was a firefighter in Central Falls and Russ worked there each summer as a vacation replacement. It was while working at a local caterer where he met his future wife, Linda.

Educated at both Bryant University and University of RI, Russ embarked on his first career of being a software developer in the Boston area. During that time, he and Linda raised three children, twins Kelley and Christopher and a younger son Mathew in the town of Norton, Massachusetts. He would see The Villages advertisements on weekend golf tournaments and he and Linda knew that this would be where they wanted to be.

In a twist of fate, the IT company that Russ worked for struggled during the depression of 2008. Russ seized the opportunity to begin training as a Registered Nurse in preparation for a move to The Villages. Upon arrival in Florida, he worked as an RN at The Villages Hospital, and later with Cornerstone Hospice as an admission nurse. In their spare time, both Russ and Linda are avid golfers and host their six grandchildren who visit as often as they can.

Living in The Villages since 2010, he has seen the tremendous growth of his new hometown and loves to share the joy that he and Linda have found with everyone they meet. Embarking on a third career of working with Properties of The Villages allows him to aid others in their search for that dream retirement.

“Moving to The Villages was a great decision and I can now help others find their perfect home. Working for Properties of The Villages has been a goal of mine since moving here and now I have the opportunity to fulfill that dream.”