Russell Mills

Russell Mills is regional executive of the Pittsburgh Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. He is responsible for managing relationships with regional stakeholders, monitoring the region’s economic environment, and speaking to regional audiences on national and regional economic conditions.  Additionally, he participates in briefings that support the Bank president’s role on the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). He also manages the Bank’s relationships with the Pittsburgh Branch’s board of directors and business advisory councils in southwest Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, northwest Pennsylvania, the Shenango and Mahoning valleys, and northwest Ohio.

Dr. Mills joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland in 2023. Prior to taking on his current role, he oversaw the Center for Regional Development at Bowling Green State University, leading a team in economic, community, and workforce development projects across 31 counties in northwestern Ohio. Prior to his time at the center, Dr. Mills was an associate professor of political science at BGSU and a policy analyst at the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington D.C.

A native of Pittsburgh, he holds a BA in political science from Westminster College, a Master of Public of Administration from the University of Vermont, and a PhD in political science from Kent State University. Russ serves on the board of the Pennsylvania Economic Association.  He is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh.