City Management team

John Russell has a long history of public safety and local government experience which started with the City of Xenia on July 15, 1994. This experience includes strategic planning, crisis management, organizational leadership, and risk management. John joined the City of Huber Heights on August 15, 2000. He was appointed as the City Manager on July 22, 2024. He previously served as the Interim City Manager from May 22, 2024, until his appointment to the permanent position.

He has served the city in many roles, most recently as the Administrative Battalion Chief since 2021. His experience within the city’s public safety services includes managing the EMS operations, including budget and operational guidelines for the division. He developed and managed the regional protocol for the division serving as the co-chair of the Greater Miami Valley EMS Council which is responsible for the EMT/Paramedic protocols for a 10-county region in southwestern Ohio. He managed the Fire Prevention Bureau to include the Fire Safety Inspectors and Plans Reviewer for the division. He also managed the maintenance program for the Fire Division which included all budget and project planning for the fleet and facilities.

He has been an educator for 20 years, working most recently in the Sinclair Community College EMS program from 2010-2022 where he was adjunct faculty. He started his role as an educator for the Fire Division in 2002, heading up and running the CPR program, and becoming the site coordinator in 2012. His role at the fire division also included forming and managing the Community Outreach Team which is responsible for the training of the community in CPR, First Aid, and Fire Safety.

John has continued to serve the community and the region outside of his roles with the city, serving as a board of directors member with both the Dayton Firefighters Credit Union and the Y at the Heights (YMCA). He is a past president of the board of directors with the Y at the Heights.

John is a long-time resident of Huber Heights living here since moving to the area with his parents in 1984. He is a proud graduate of Wayne High School and attended Wright State University and Sinclair Community College. He has raised 2 children who also graduated from Wayne High School, they are grown and living out of state. He currently has 4 grandchildren.