ABOUT

Philanthropology was created in 2015 by David O. Russell.  David enjoyed a career of more than 33 years with a Dow 30 corporation where he was responsible for all of the company’s community relations and charitable giving across the Midwest, the Southwest and most of the Southern states.  When he finally retired, he was the most experienced corporate philanthropist in his company, having strategically invested millions of dollars with thousands of nonprofits across a broad spectrum of needs.

Born and raised in Arkansas, David graduated from the University of Arkansas with a BA degree in journalism and English. He worked at several daily newspapers in Arkansas going from reporter to managing editor over a decade in the media.  He then made the transition into corporate communication and public relations with GTE Southwest.  He advanced to oversee all internal and external communications for GTE Southwest and then was promoted to director at GTE’s national telephone operations department where he became the company’s national media spokesperson and director of external communications.

He also led a special advocacy project for GTE that resulted in legislation that allowed telephone companies to provide video services – a major shift in that industry.  For this effort David was award the nation’s highest public relations award, the Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America.  He won numerous other state and regional awards for speechwriting, strategic advocacy, newsletter and magazine design, to name a few. 

 

He then came back to GTE Southwest as Regional Vice President of Public Affairs.  His title changed to Vice President – External Affairs in the year 2000 when GTE and Bell Atlantic merged to form Verizon Corporation.  He continued in that position another 15 years before retiring.  He has an extensive record of community service, having served on many board and chairing most of them.  Among the honors he has received, he was named in 2011 as one of the top 40 leaders in north Texas over the past 40 years by the North Texas Commission – the region’s most prestigious leadership organization.  He is recognized as the father of Leadership North Texas – a program he created when he chaired the North Texas Commission – to help identify and grow the next generation of regional leaders.

 

He and his wife Debbie have two grown sons and live in Keller, TX.