David Russell is vice president - external affairs for Verizon Communications. Russell is responsible for directing all external communications, charitable contributions, community involvement and economic development activities by Verizon in the Southwest Region, which includes Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

Russell held various public affairs management positions before being named a director with Verizon’s national Telephone Operations group. Russell later served as national media spokesman for telephone operations and assumed his current duties in the year 2000.  Before joining Verizon, Russell was a daily newspaper editor and is an active member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the International Association of Business Communicators and the Texas Public Relations Association.  He also is past-president of the Press Club of Dallas.

Russell is Chairman of the Texas Independent College Foundation and President of the North Texas Business for Culture and the Arts.  He serves on the executive committee of the Texas Association of Business and is co-chairman of the Advisory Council for the College of Education at the University of North Texas.  He is past chairman of the North Texas Commission, the Texas Business and Education Coalition, the Texas Education Reform Caucus and the Keller Chamber of Commerce.  He serves on the board of directors for the Texas Telephone Association Foundation, the Dallas County Community College District Foundation, the Salvation Army of Dallas County, the Press Club Foundation, the Greater Irving/Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce, the North Texas Commission and is a member of the Dallas Citizens Council.

Russell received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Arkansas.  He is pursuing an MBA degree at the University of Dallas.  He and his wife Debbie have two sons and live in Keller, Texas.