In 1998, Russell became the youngest CEO in JNF’s history. He works tirelessly, traveling around the country and visiting Israel almost every month, to ensure JNF’s vision is more relevant and meaningful today than ever before. Today, more than 110 years after it was founded, JNF gives all generations of Jews a unique voice in building and ensuring the prosperity of the land of Israel through their generosity and partnership with the people of Israel. Jewish National Fund is a leader in environmental activism, Zionist education, sustainable community development in the Negev and Galilee, the protection of historical landmarks, and water resource development. No other organization makes a greater impact on the land and the people of Israel. Under Russell’s direction, JNF is one of the most recognized non-profits for its work, cultivation of a younger donor population, business management, financial integrity and volunteer involvement. Russell is featured in the best selling management book, “The 24 hour Turnaround, How Amazing Entrepreneurs Succeed in Tough Times.” Russell is a sixth generation American Jew. His family first laid down its American roots in Petersburg, Virginia after emigrating from Alsace Lorraine in the late 1700’s.

Travel writer and videographer Robert Reid has written about a far-range of travel destinations and topics for outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, ESPN.com and CNN.com, and has talked travel trends on shows like the Today Show and CNN Headline News. While at Lonely Planet, Robert authored two dozens guidebooks, including the Trans-Siberian Railway, Burma, Colombia and USA. He touts the next great travel trend to be "you travel," where as individuals we probe our own interests, often once-faded ones from childhood, to approach as travel memes. While working on the 76-Second Travel Show, he tested the notion out with videos on using a Monopoly board as a guidebook to Atlantic City, Billy Joel lyrics for Long Island, and trying out in Mountie boot camp in Saskatchewan. Raised in Oklahoma, Robert's lived around the world the past two decades (Vietnam, Australia, London, New York, San Francisco) and now lives in Portland, Oregon.