Russell Etherton is Chief of Staff to Houston City Council Member Mario Castillo, where he provides strategic leadership across policy, operations, communications, and community engagement. Working at the intersection of public policy, innovation, and civic leadership, he has helped advance initiatives focused on resilience, economic opportunity, and expanding public participation in local government, including Resilient H, the LGBTQ+ Economic Empowerment Coordinator pilot, and the City of Houston's Evening Public Session legislation.
Throughout his career in local government and the nonprofit sector, including leadership roles at BakerRipley, Legacy Community Health, and Texas Pride Impact Funds, Russell has focused on building cross-sector partnerships that translate bold ideas into meaningful community impact. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of Houston and serves as a Teaching Fellow for the University of Pennsylvania's Executive Program in Social Impact Strategy.