After building organizations within United Way Worldwide and the American Red Cross, Russ Paulsen joined UsAgainstAlzheimer’s as its seniormost employee in 2019. Under his leadership, the organization has quadrupled in size, its financial health has improved, and it has served nearly a million Americans. His team’s policy wins include establishing Medicare coverage for Alzheimer’s treatments and the creation of a federal goal to prevent Alzheimer’s disease through risk-reduction.

Immediately prior to joining UsAgainstAlzheimer’s, Russ served as the inaugural Vice President for 211 at United Way Worldwide, a nationwide network that connects millions of people in every American community with services they need. Prior to that, he created the Community Preparedness Services department at the American Red Cross and—in his role as Executive Director—built a national campaign to reduce deaths from home fires. That campaign has saved more than 2,300 lives since its launch and made more than 1,260,000 high-risk homes safer for the people who live there. Before that, Russ was tapped by the CEO to lead a $200 million recovery program in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina which, in addition to rebuilding thousands of homes, helped rebuild the mental health system of coastal Louisiana and Mississippi through an innovative economic incentive system adapted from his earlier leadership experiences in post-9/11 recovery.

Russ’s more than 30-year commitment to service began as he was completing his master’s degree in Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley, when a devastating earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area and he felt compelled to drop what he was doing and volunteer. He is the proud parent of two young adults who are similarly drawn to making a difference in the lives of others.   

Bucket list item: Travel somewhere interesting and stay in one place for a month

Favorite Book: Good to Great