Eliot Russman, of Redding, Conn. and New York City, has been appointed chief executive officer and executive director. In his new role, Russman will oversee all aspects of Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation, Inc. operations.
Russman succeeds Charles and Roberta Kaman, founders of Fidelco.
He is the first CEO who is not a Kaman family member, and has been an active volunteer with the organization since 2001 when his family adopted “Gundy,” a retired Fidelco guide dog.
Since being elected to the board of directors in 2004, Russman served as chairman of the strategic planning committee, chairman of the corporate governance committee and, most recently, as vice-chairman of the board.
Russman also worked in a variety of consulting capacities with many top companies in the USA and Europe. His clients included Citibank, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Xerox, Chubb and Forbes.
Russman is married and his wife Laurie is an investment management executive. He eis a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology.
He volunteers as an animal assisted therapy dog team that visits patients at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Russman also served on the board of directors of The Good Dog Foundation in New York City.
Fidelco, a non-profit organization based in Bloomfield, Conn., breeds, trains and places its own, unique breed of German shepherd guide dogs with people who have visual disabilities. It is New England’s only guide dog school. Fidelco relies solely on the gifts and the generosity of individuals, foundations, corporations and civic organizations. operations.