Board of Directors

About Russ

Graduating from Tombstone High School in 1958, Russ McNeill enlisted directly in the U.S. Army. For the next three years, he worked as a soldier, and specialized as a microwave and telephone carrier technician, serving two years in Germany.

That experience helped him land a job when he left the military, continuing to work as a microwave radio tech, then a supervisor and eventually a central office manager.

Along the way, while working fulltime, McNeill started to attend Regis University where he graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in technical management, with a minor in Sociology.

“I went to college part time while working full time and it just took time to obtain the required hours for graduation,” McNeill said in a recent interview.

His resume offers impressive credentials in management. McNeill worked as the Director of Project Management at AT&T, then as a plant manager for the Lufkin-Conroe Telephone Company, then as the General Manager for the Texas Lone Star Network, a statewide fiber optic transport company.

After 45 years of work experience, McNeill returned with his family to southeast Arizona and took an interest in serving his community as a member of the Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative Board of Directors.

He cites two primary reasons for his dedication to the Cooperative.

“It’s absolutely necessary that all utilities are looking forward and preparing for the challenges we will be facing in the future. The electric brown outs some of our neighboring states incur every year illustrate the point better than any words can.”

His second reason focuses on the community.

“This area is my home. I feel a responsibility to use the experience I have been blessed with, to work and try to make Cochise County a place we can all enjoy for a long time.”