Wil Russell moved to Charlotte in 2004 from Birmingham, Alabama. In his first decade living in Charlotte, he saw the city explode with growth--and not always in a positive way. 

“We really took our eye off the ball and lost focus on making Charlotte a place that’s inclusive,” he said. “We’re doing more things that have only benefitted a smaller and smaller few. But we still have time to prevent the mistakes that we’ve seen in other cities.”

With this passion, Wil joined Sustain Charlotte’s board of directors in 2014. “It was a natural fit,” he says. “I dove in head first.” Over his six-year tenure on the board, he’s seen the organization grow dramatically and continue to accomplish greater and greater things. 

For Wil, being a part of Sustain Charlotte has given him a community of people who share his passion for holistic, sustainable development of the city.  Wil encourages those interested in sustainability to join the community as well.

“When you see a hundred other people who think like you do, it makes it easier,” he said. “You can see there are other people who want to do this.”

We’re so grateful to have a wonderful group of board members like Wil who help lead our organization. See our full list of board members here.