Our Board

Following the passing of his brother Russ, Doug  sought to turn a tragic event into something positive and beneficial in Russ' name.  He worked with family and friends of Russ to form Hearts for Russ in 2014.  Doug is excited about the direction and mission of the organization and the impact it is having on peoples lives. 

John was the best friend of Russ and they had grown up together in Garden City, NY.  John helped form Hearts for Russ and is an integral organizer of our charity events.  He also serves as board liaison to LI TRIO, attending and speaking at events and advocating for the causes important to the organization.

Jim Housman is the eldest of the Housman children and has been an essential part of Hearts for Russ since the founding in 2014.  Jim is also the Treasurer of Hearts for Russ and has worked tirelessly to ensure that the organization is well run and  judicious in our funding distributions to worthy non-profilts.  

The wife of Russ Housman, Pam has done an amazing job in his absence and has raised two wonderful children, Carollynn and Cydney.  Pam  has been devoted to Hearts for Russ since the beginning and works to ensure that all of our charity events are shining examples of who we want to be as an organization.

Beth Riley (nee Housman) is the elder sister of Russ and has been on the Hearts for Russ board of directors since 2017.  Her strong instincts for running a non-profit and direction in terms of the organizations that Hearts for Russ supports have been invaluable.  Beth also serves as board secretary of the organization.

Carollynn is Russ' eldest daughter, she has been participating in Hearts for Russ events since she was 13 when we were founded. Beginning with creating our logo, she has worked tirelessly to help us spread our message, host our events and provide support to the transplant community.  As webmaster of the Hearts for Russ website and our social media voice, Carollynn ensures that Hearts for Russ stays connected and relevant in the organ transplant community.  We could not be more pleased to have the support and expertise of this fine young woman.

​Jen Benson was the recipient of the 2022 Hearts for Russ Transplant Recipient Award and our board was so impressed with her personal story and her commitment to the transplant community, we asked her to join our board...and she said Yes!  Jen had a successful kidney-pancreas transplant over 7 years ago and then created The Transplant Journey (transplantjourney.org), a non-profit which guides prospective organ recipients through the transplant process.  Jen's amazing transplant story is similar to many other recipients, but her personal commitment to give back to others in the transplant space is rare indeed.  We are so pleased to have her on our journey.