GodwinGroup President Jeff Russell was recently inducted into the Delta State University’s 2013 National Alumni Association Hall of Fame, the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by the Delta State Alumni Association. Established in 2007, the Alumni Hall of Fame is extended to alumni and friends who have achieved professional distinction and made significant community service contributions at the local, national and/or international level, and who have thus brought honor and distinction to Delta State University.
“I’m honored to receive this distinction, but more importantly I’m excited to share how innovative Delta State was 32 years ago when it came to preparing students for the workforce,” Russell said. “I went to Delta State because of a curriculum that offered an internship at an advertising agency. My decision to attend Delta State and having real-life work experience when I graduated will always represent a turning point in my life and a contributing factor to my success in business.”
Russell, a 1980 graduate of Delta State University, began his advertising career as a staff artist at a small agency in Mississippi, but seeking to build his understanding of advertising and marketing, he returned to Delta State University where he received an MBA with an emphasis in marketing.
“Since joining GodwinGroup in 1985, Jeff has earned the respect of his peers and clients, and his leadership has been instrumental in the growth of the Agency,” said Philip Shirley, GodwinGroup chairman and CEO.
Russell became a stockholder in 1990 and assumed responsibility for the agency’s brand management staff in 1992. For the last two decades, Russell has worked as a strategic marketing planner for a variety of accounts focusing on bringing creative solutions to marketing problems primarily in the fields of economic development, healthcare, energy and banking. He has helped guide and assist GodwinGroup clients such as Nissan, Mississippi Development Authority, Mississippi Power, Baptist Medical Center, Hancock Bank, Trustmark Bank and Dallas-based PlainsCapital Bank.
