Richard M. Russell Associate Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President

Richard M. Russell is Associate Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Executive Office of the President. In that capacity he serves as OSTP’s Deputy Director for Technology. He is responsible for running OSTP’s Technology Division and chairing the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Technology. He was nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate in August of 2002. Additionally, the President appointed him to serve as the United States Ambassador to the 2007 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC). In October of 2007, Ambassador Russell led a delegation of more than 150 government and private sector delegates to the month-long treaty writing conference in Geneva, Switzerland. The WRC is convened every four years under the auspices of the United Nation’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to review and revise the international rules governing the use of radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. Prior to heading the U.S. Delegation to the WRC, Mr. Russell served as Senior Director for Technology and Telecommunications for the National Economic Council. In that capacity he coordinated technology and telecommunications policy for the White House. Mr. Russell began his tenure in the Bush Administration in 2001 as OSTP’s Chief of Staff. Prior to joining the Bush Administration, Mr. Russell spent over a decade on Capitol Hill, working in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. From 1995-2001, Mr. Russell worked for the House Committee on Science. During his time on the Committee, he was charged with overseeing the Committee’s technology policy, coordinating its oversight agenda, and helping manage the Committee’s majority staff. Mr. Russell helped draft a wide variety of legislation, including efforts to expand and improve coordination of federal information technology research, improve computer security, and authorize budgets for science and technology related agencies. Mr. Russell joined the Science Committee as a professional staff member. He then became Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Technology and finally Deputy Chief of Staff for the full Committee. Mr. Russell also ran the Washington office of a trade association. Mr. Russell began his career in Washington as a Research Fellow for the non-profit Conservation Foundation. In 1988 he earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Yale University.