Randall H. Russell joined the Foundation for a St. Petersburg in March 2015 as the founding President and CEO. He brings to the philanthropy sector a 30-year dossier of social innovation, creative partnerships and effective advocacy and policy work spanning 30 states. A conceptual thinker, he is particularly adept at marrying ambitious social change initiatives with creative and dynamic strategies to achieve results.

A mission-based community activist is an unusual choice to lead a private health foundation, but this background has enabled Russell to adopt fresh approaches and quickly ground his organization in best practices in 21st century health philanthropy. Under visionary board leadership, he adopted the social determinants of health framework with a focus on eliminating the social and structural barriers to good health that disproportionately impact low-income communities and people of color. Since 2016, the Foundation has committed more than $18 million toward health-equity-related investments in Pinellas County. In late 2019, the Foundation will open an Equity Center for Community Health to empower community-driven social change.

Check out our Q&A with Randall