Jeffrey Russo was named district director of school climate and safety in November 2021. He came to  Schenectady from the Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office where he worked for 17 years as a deputy sheriff, a D.A.R.E. officer,  school resource officer and trainer.  Prior to that, Russo worked for the New York State Office of Child and Family Services (NYSOCFS) first as a youth division aide in the Special Service Unit from 2000-2003 and then for NYSOCFS and then for the State Central Register for Child Abuse as a child protective specialist.  He began his career in 1995 as a treatment team leader/duty officer at Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth where he worked for five years.

Russo holds many certifications including EMT-B, First Aid and CPR.  He is a Texas State University C.R.A.S.E. trainer and is certified in Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (Cornell Model).    Russo has completed the Restorative Response to Racism Training, Emergency Response Planning (Training for Schools), and Prepare for School Safety and Crisis Prevention Training provided by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP).

In 2018, Russo was named Berlin Central Schools’ “Community Hero.”  In 2014 he was the recipient of the John Janzen D.A.R.E. “Officer of the Year,” and the 2014 Stephentown Fire “Dedication to EMS” award.

Russo has participated on many committees including the Rensselaer County Safe Schools Committee, East Greenbush Central School District and Building Safety Committees, Howard L. Goff Middle School Threat Assessment Team and was the school club co-advisor for “No Place for Hate” and “Students Against Destructive Decisions.”    Russo was also a member of the Rensselaer County Heroin Coalition, the Rensselaer County Truancy Prevention Committee and the East Greenbush Central School District Committee for School Climate and Global Awareness.

Russo obtained a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Middlebury College in Vermont.