The Honorable Gary L. Russ, Jr.
Mayor, City of Gretna

Personal Profile: A dedicated community leader, social Justice advocate, and innovative catalyst with hands-on experience in education, local government, as well as social work administration.

Areads of Expertise:
Community engagement & development
Public policy, strategic planning & leadership
Social welfare program administration, evaluation and implementation
Scholarly, evidence-based research
Data collection and analysis
Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint

Professional Experience:

Educator
Gadsden County Public Schools | 2018 – Present
Develop & implement effective lesson plans for optimal learning for
diverse populations of students
Motivate & inspire maximum effort & focus from students through
engaging content and instruction
Assesses levels of achievement and analyze data to implement
improvement plans for success
7th Grade Team Leader, Social Studies Department Chair

City Commissioner
City of Gretna | 2019 – Present
Reviews & approve fiscal budget, long-term & short-term priorities
Establish tax rates, passing ordinances & resolutions, and
comprehensive plans for sustainability & growth
Communicate policies & programs to residents by responding to
constituents’ needs & complaints
Annual MLK Celebration, Chairperson
Mayor Pro-Tem (2021-23)
MAYOR (2023-2025)

Education:
FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL & MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY
MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK, SPRING 2023
Secretary of the Department of Graduate Affairs, Student Government
Association
Member, Graduate Student Association
Fellow, Campus Vote Project (Spring & Fall 2022, Spring 2023)
Intern, Campus Vote Project’s HBCU Legacy Initiative (Summer 2022)
Intern, Shadetree Group (Spring 2021)

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Bachelors of Arts in Psychology, Fall 2017

Professional Organizations:
Phi Alpha National Social Work Honor Society
Gadsden County Chapter of FAMU National Alumni Association
Gadsden County Classroom Teacher Association
Vice-President, 2021-23
Bargaining Chair, 2021-23
Florida Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials
Nominating Committee, 2022
Florida LGBTQ+ Democratic Caucus
Region 1 Deputy Director, 2022-23
Florida League of Cities
Transportation and Intergovernmental Relations Legislative
Committee (2021 & 2022)
Alex L. Dixon Lodge #640, International Free & Accepted
Modern Masons and the Order of Eastern Star
Grand Recording Secretary
Gadsden County Branch of NAACP
Progressive Black Men, Inc., 6th Class, USF Chapter
University of South Florida Black Alumni Society

Professional Certifications:
FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Professional Educator Certification
Social Sciences 6-12
AVID
History/Social Studies
Florida League of Cities
Institute for Elected Municipal Officials, Graduate 2021