Russel T. Harrison of IEEE Director of Government Relations

Congress and President Trump have been pursuing an aggressive agenda over the past year, making things interesting for IEEE-USA and our Government Relations team in Washington! What can IEEE members expect over the next year prior to the 2020 election? How will these new priorities in Washington impact technology, business and engineers?

“We’re pleased that we can move ahead and start building the resiliency into our systems needed to withstand the kind of severe weather that has devastated our state in recent years. Energy Strong will allow us to begin to make meaningful upgrades, including upgrading substations that were flooded in Superstorm Sandy and Hurricane Irene.” -- Ralph Izzo, PSEG Chairman & CEO

Biography:

Russel T. Harrison is IEEE-USA's director of Government Relations. He previously served as senior legislative representative for grassroots activities. In addition to providing overall strategic direction and day-to-day operational management of IEEE-USA's government relations program and staff, he also focuses on programs and activities design to help U.S. IEEE members interact with – and influence – elected officials. He is also responsible for a number of IEEE-USA government relations’ initiatives, particularly small and independent business policy and high-skill immigration reform. Biography: Prior to IEEE-USA, Russell directed grassroots programs at the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries and the American Iron and Steel Institute. He has also represented the recycling and steel industries on Capitol Hill and in state capitols on a variety of issues as a professional lobbyist. Russell has a B.A. in Political Science, with minors in History and Communication, from Allegheny College, and a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Maryland. of Transmission and Distribution Engineering at Public Service Electric & Gas (PSE&G). In this role which he assumed in 2013, he oversees the engineering and standards for all electric transmission and distribution facilities, both overhead and underground. His team specifies and is involved in the purchase of all high voltage substation equipment. Projects range from high voltage electric transmission construction, underground electric transmission construction, substation construction, gas insulated switchgear (GIS) and electric distribution facilities. He has been at PSE&G for 27 years in various engineering and asset management positions. Prior to his current position he was the electric project lead for PSE&G’s Capital Infrastructure Program as well as overseeing electric service policy and solar interconnections.
Other relevant experience includes being a Utility team lead for Service Management and Plant Maintenance SAP work management implementations with integrated mobile applications at PSE&G for both Electric and Gas Distribution. 
He is a licensed New Jersey Professional Engineer, has a BS in Civil engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a MS in Civil Engineering from Rutgers University and a MS in management from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Email:

Address:2001 L St, NW: Suite 700, , Washington, DC 20036, Washington, United States, 20036