A native Oklahoman, Steve Russell graduated from Del City High School as class president and was voted “most likely to succeed.” He earned a degree in public speaking from Ouachita Baptist University and completed the Army ROTC program. Russell was then commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant-Army Infantry, which began his 21-year career in the U. S. Army. He completed the rigorous U.S. Army Ranger School in Class 11-87, and he deployed to assignments in the Arctic, the desert, the Pacific, Europe and Continental U. S. stations.
Operationally, he was deployed to Kosovo, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Russell commanded the 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry and conducted combat in Tikrit, Iraq. His unit played a key role in the capture of Saddam Hussein, which is documented in his book, We Got Him! A Memoir of the Hunt and Capture of Saddam Hussein.
Russell completed a master’s degree in history from the Command and General Staff College. Before retiring as a Lieutenant Colonel, Russell earned the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with Valor Device, and Oak Leaf Cluster. He then returned to Oklahoma with his wife, Cindy, and their five children.
As a member of the Oklahoma State Senate from 2008-2012, Russell led efforts to protect the unborn, combat human trafficking, support veterans benefits, and reform the adoption process.
Russell is the founder and owner of Two Rivers Arms, a small rifle manufacturing business, and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. His committee assignments include: House Republican Steering Committee; House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform (Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on National Security) and House Armed Services Committee. He and Cindy make their home in Choctaw, Oklahoma, and are members of First Southern Baptist Church of Del City.
Bud Ground monitors State of Oklahoma environmental and regulatory activities of interest to the members of OKOGA, advocates OKOGA’s position, and performs such other duties to advance OKOGA’s public policy. He has over 30 years of experience in the utility industry working primarily in energy production, environmental & health, legislative and regulatory areas. He has also been directly involved with resource planning, marketing, business development and customer service. He has extensive experience in leading organizations, fiscal management, education, strategic planning as well as building strong relationships and coalitions. Bud holds a BS in engineering from Oklahoma State University and an MBA with honors from Oklahoma City University.