Russell named JAARS CEO
Former congressman to lead nonprofit
The group enables that vision through pilot training and mission aviation services, remote technology, and communications support.
Russell becomes the first leader of JAARS in its 75 years from outside the Bible translation movement. JAARS was formed in 1948 as the Jungle Aviation and Radio Service by William Cameron Townsend.
Russell was a decorated officer in the U.S. Army, a former leader in Congress on the front lines for veterans’ advocacy, and is an aviator. While in the U.S. House of Representatives, serving Oklahoma’s fifth district from 2015 to 2019, Russell was introduced to flying by Reps. Ralph Abraham and Don Young.
“Ralph told me he could teach me to fly. He challenged me to solo in a one week accelerated effort,” Russell said. “I started on a Monday and soloed on a Friday morning.”
Russell was a member of the House General Aviation Caucus and is a member of AOPA. He and Abraham were presented with the 2018 AOPA Hartranft Award.
“While I had a lightning start, I had the world’s slowest finish,” he said of his aviation life. “It became very difficult to line up an airplane, instructor, deal with my congressional schedule, and weather. After Congress, I found an instructor to clean me up and five months later in 2019 got my pilot’s license.”
Russell hopes to stay current while flying a Piper Cherokee and restoring a 1948 Cessna 140.
“JAARS is a wonderful organization that reduces barriers, eases burdens, and delivers God’s word. We do that through training, equipping, deploying, and sustaining our people to serve in the most remote parts of the planet.”
Eric Blinderman
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