William (Bill) Russo has 30 years of experience in aviation, which includes working as a certified Airframe & Powerplant mechanic, aircraft inspector, supervisor, manager, and an instructor.  His career began in the U.S. Air Force, where he served as a C-130 Crew Chief in the Air Force Special Operations Command, earning numerous awards and citations, to include the Bronze Star medal.  As a civilian, he has worked for airlines and for aircraft repair stations performing line, base, and heavy maintenance.  He also served as coauthor and consultant to Gleim Publications for their FAA Inspection Authorization Training and Renewal courses.  Mr. Russo graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics and a Master of Aeronautical Science degree (with distinction), with dual specialization in the fields of Human Factors and Aviation Education.

Mr. Russo first became interested in aviation as a young child in 1976 when his family took him to the Smithsonian’s new National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. A staunch advocate for aviation education and past recipient of 3 AWAM scholarships, William has built a reputation as an expert in the areas of Mechanic Certification, Maintenance Human Factors, Instructional Design, and Curriculum development, and regularly speaks on these subjects at conferences and in magazine articles.  He is equally as comfortable wearing a suit and meeting with Congressional leaders to push for FAA regulatory and legislative modernization on behalf of the Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC) as he is with a wrench in his hand covered in dirt and grease while fabricating tooling and equipment for an A&P school.  His passion for sharing his knowledge and experience never wanes, and he is extremely excited about being an AWAM Director.

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