Name: Russ Little
Leadership Charlotte (LC) Class: 42
Title/Company: Vice President, Service and Business Operations / Climate Systems LLC
Hometown: Catawba, NC
Education: Bachelor of Science; Mechanical Engineering – NC State University
Current personal or leadership goals:
My leadership goals are centered on living out our organization’s core values through not only the projects we deliver, but also in connecting our clients with community impact opportunities.
What’s your best advice for Leadership Charlotte participants about making the most of the experience?
Embrace and engage, you will likely never have the opportunity to intimately connect with some of the city’s most influential contacts. Pre-determine that you will be present and prepared to make the most of the moment.
What’s one lesson or moment from your Leadership Charlotte experience that still sticks with you today, and why?
Growing up outside of Charlotte, its diversity felt segmented and disconnected. Having experienced the LC program, I better understood that the evening news is not Charlotte’s story. Our city’s residents are more similar than different, more aligned than divided.
In what ways do you stay engaged in the Charlotte community, and how could fellow alumni join you?
I would like to see LC alumni find a cause that stirs up passion in their hearts and commitment in their minds to throw themselves into. Charlotte is a compassionate city, it is a philanthropic city, but more importantly it is a growing city with rising prices. This growth creates more opportunities to serve to those who need a hand up.
What’s your favorite way to recharge or connect with Charlotte on the weekend?
It is hard to turn down a summer day at Whitewater Center or cruising one of the areas’ lakes to beat the heat.
Shout out a local nonprofit or initiative making a difference — what do they do, and why does their mission speak to you?
There are a wealth of organizations to choose from, it’s hard to pick a favorite. As a Board member at Arts+, I love our mission of providing accessible arts education across the city as way to ensure Charlotte continues its rich tradition of supporting the arts. Roof Above’s ambitious vision to end homelessness through a progressive housing strategy is hard to beat. The one-to-one love and caring The Relatives provides to kids and young adults in our community has been eye opening to see up close. By providing accessible and affordable healthcare, Care Ring facilitates life changing impact in a city where rising costs are further separating the have and have nots.