Decades of Driving Change
R2 Consults, LLC is led by Randall H. Russell, MSW, ACSW, a nationally respected nonprofit leader and changemaker. With over three decades dedicated to social justice and public health, Randall's career spans 17 states and three sectors, driven by a profound commitment to community transformation and effective leadership.
Randall H. Russell, MSW, ACSW
Randall H. Russell is a nationally respected nonprofit leader, social worker, and visionary changemaker whose career spans more than three decades of unwavering commitment to social justice, public health, and community transformation.
With warmth, passion, and an abiding belief that listening to people is the most powerful tool in leadership, Russell has built a legacy of innovation, equity, and compassion that has shaped public health policy, advanced housing solutions, and strengthened the nonprofit sector across the United States.
Russell’s journey began in the arts. A professional musician and bassoonist by training, he worked as an arts administrator for orchestras in Louisville, Omaha, Phoenix, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Alabama. These early years taught him the importance of collaboration, nuance, and emotional intelligence—skills that would later become foundational to his leadership in the social sector. His expertise in nonprofit management and leadership became apparent.
When HIV/AIDS emerged in the 1980s, Russell’s life and purpose were irrevocably changed as a member of the LGBTQ community. Leaving behind his musical career, he became a frontline advocate, serving as a volunteer “buddy” to 44 people living with HIV, all of whom died.
Their lives and stories profoundly shaped his understanding of human dignity and injustice, catalyzing his commitment to a new path. This experience led him to earn his Master of Social Work (MSW) and become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). He pursued his social work education at the University of Alabama, where he later returned as an adjunct professor. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Washington in Seattle, teaching future social workers to lead with empathy and equity.
Russell founded AIDS Alabama in 1992, where he pioneered the use of housing as a core intervention for HIV care and prevention—a model utilized in a dozen or so states that gained national recognition and has been replicated in over 30 states. Under his leadership, AIDS Alabama became a cornerstone in the movement for health equity and housing justice in the South.
He co-founded several influential organizations with talented leaders, including the Southern AIDS Coalition, the National AIDS Housing Coalition, and the Low-Income Housing Coalition of Alabama, forging alliances that expanded resources and reshaped policy to better serve those living with HIV and facing housing insecurity.
Russell’s impact reached the federal level, where he testified before the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) under three U.S. Presidents. Representing the South, he brought attention to the shifting epicenter of the epidemic and successfully advocated for congressional reallocation of funding to address the disproportionate burden of HIV in the Southeastern U.S.
Throughout his career, Russell has raised over $100 million to support nonprofit and public health efforts. His work has touched nearly every corner of the nation through consulting engagements with state governments, nonprofit organizations, and the pharmaceutical industry. His efforts have been rooted in building bridges across sectors, breaking down silos, and empowering those closest to the issues to lead the solutions.
In 2015, following a national search, Russell was named the founding CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. There, he led with humility and intention, guiding the foundation through a transformative process of community engagement and adopting an explicit antiracist mission, identifying racism as a central determinant of poor health outcomes. Through deep listening and collaborative grantmaking, Russell helped reshape the role of philanthropy in addressing structural inequities.
Today, Randall H. Russell brings his vast knowledge and lived experience to support nonprofits across the country. Through strategic coaching, leadership searches, and fundraising expertise, he helps organizations become more effective, equitable, and sustainable. His approach is grounded in the belief that real change begins with radical listening, and that authentic leadership means sharing power, building trust, and standing in solidarity with those most impacted.
A compassionate mentor, trusted advisor, and relentless advocate for justice, Russell continues to inspire the next generation of leaders with his courage, conviction, and commitment to community.
A Personal Connection
Randy Russell with a Knoxville College diploma at Nelson Mandela’s home—now a museum—in Johannesburg, South Africa. To my surprise, an honorary degree from Knoxville, Tennessee, my hometown, was on display. I later discovered that my mother, who taught at Knoxville College (an HBCU), was present at the very ceremony where Mandela received it. A powerful, full-circle moment in a very small world.
Areas of Impact
Washington
Florida
Kentucky
Indiana
Nebraska
Arizona
New York
Alabama
California
Tennessee
Knoxville
Chicago
Bloomington
Louisville
Omaha
Phoenix
Syracuse
Buffalo
Birmingham
Seattle
St Petersburg
Lexington
Wanakena
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