Cleveland Fed appoints Russell Mills vice president and senior regional officer of the Bank’s Pittsburgh Branch

Russell Mills has been appointed vice president and senior regional officer of the Pittsburgh Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, effective January 30, 2023.

Mills will serve as the Cleveland Fed’s senior official in western Pennsylvania and the northern panhandle of West Virginia. He will be responsible for managing relationships with regional stakeholders, monitoring the region’s economic environment, and contributing to the Bank’s monetary policy mission. He will also manage the Bank’s Business Advisory Councils in Pittsburgh and Erie, Pennsylvania, and in Wheeling, West Virginia.

“Russell’s experience in mission-driven work to improve economic well-being through analysis and program evaluation is a natural fit for the position of senior regional officer. He will be a valuable resource to the Cleveland Fed and our stakeholders in the Pittsburgh region,” said Guhan Venkatu, group vice president of the regional analysis and outreach unit in the Bank’s Research Department.

Since 2018, Mills has overseen the Center for Regional Development at Bowling Green State University (BGSU), in Bowling Green, Ohio, leading a diverse team in economic, community, and workforce development projects across 31 counties in northwestern Ohio. Before then, Mills was an associate professor of political science at BGSU and an analyst at the Federal Aviation Administration.

A native of the Pittsburgh area, Mills holds a BA in political science from Westminster College, an MPA from the University of Vermont, and a PhD in political science from Kent State University. He is a member of the Ohio Economic Development Association and the National Association of Development Organizations.

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland is one of 12 regional Reserve Banks that along with the Board of Governors in Washington DC comprise the Federal Reserve System. Part of the US central bank, the Cleveland Fed participates in the formulation of our nation’s monetary policy, supervises banking organizations, provides payment and other services to financial institutions and to the US Treasury, and performs many activities that support Federal Reserve operations System-wide. In addition, the Bank supports the well-being of communities across the Fourth Federal Reserve District through a wide array of research, outreach, and educational activities.

The Cleveland Fed, with branches in Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, serves an area that comprises Ohio, western Pennsylvania, eastern Kentucky, and the northern panhandle of West Virginia.

Media contact

Doug Campbell, doug.campbell@clev.frb.org, 513.455.4479