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Biography
Russ was born in Cedar Falls; Iowa on September 16, 1947. He is a lifelong Iowan and has lived in Waukee for 15 years. He attended kindergarten thru 12 th grade at the Northern University Laboratory School.
Russ started his working career by mowing lawns, shoveling snow and delivering Des Moines Register newspapers. He had one of the largest paper routes in Cedar Falls by working hard. He had the opportunity to work on his grandfather’s farm and friend’s farms while he was growing up. He knows first hand of the dangers of farming as his youngest brother was ran over with a wagon full of corn and died at the age of seven. Russ also learned the values of working hard while employed at Viking Pumps Company in Cedar Falls while in high school. He worked as a janitor, in inventory control, ran a machine when he was old enough, but the hardest job was knocking the hot sand off of the castings after they were poured. Most of the time the castings were still glowing red as he knocked the hot sand off of them.
Russ enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1968. He served as an infantryman and an interpreter in Vietnam before he was wounded by mortar fire in 1969, receiving the Purple Heart. After recovering from his wounds at Great Lakes Navel Hospital he was stationed with the Marines in Jacksonville. N.C. Because of the constant infections and many operations he endured on his right leg, he finally had to have it amputated below the knee in September of 1995.
After being honorably discharged from the Marine Corps he attended the University of Northern Iowa for one year before transferring to Drake University. He graduated with a BS degree in Pharmacy in 1975. While attending Drake Pharmacy school Russ was active in the Urbandale Jaycees. He was awarded a National Jaycees top twenty-five presidential award, was one of the top District Directors and was also a Regional Director. He was awarded a Jaycee’s International Senatorship in 1980 by the Urbandale Jaycees.
Each and every day on the job, Russ encountered elderly patients for whom health care has grown too expensive. Even when they had insurance cards, the co-pays were becoming very hard to pay. This was true not only for the seniors, but also the rest of his patients.
Russ is an active member of his community. He belongs to the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, the Optimist Club, is finance chair at the Waukee Methodist Church and serves on the pastor/parrish relations team. Additionally, he is chairman of the Dallas County Empowerment Board and a member of the Iowa Pharmacy Association. He is past president of the Central Iowa Pharmacists Association. He is serving his last term as a board member of the Waukee YMCA. He is a past member of the Waukee Utility Committee.
Russ is serving his ninth year on the Waukee School Board. He believes that all students can achieve at the proficient level and above. He is also a strong supporter of meaningful professional staff development for all teachers and administrators. Russ is a graduate of the Iowa Association of Schools Boards (IASB) first Leadership Academy class. He has attended all of the IASB ABLE classes for school board members at least once. ABLE classes help local board members understand and keep up with the constant challenges of being a school board member. Russ is a graduate of IASB’s first Leadership Academy Class. He was one of about twenty board members picked from the state of Iowa to participate in this valuable learning experience. He was elected to IASB board of directors at their November convention.
He and his wife, Ilyeen, have two children. Carrie will be a senior this fall at Waukee High School and likes to dance. Martin is 14 and attends Waukee Middle School. He plays both ice and roller hockey.
Russ’ sister Linda and her husband live in Urbandale, Ia. His brother Jon lives in Cedar Falls with his family. Jon helps take care of their mother who is suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Russ Wiesley is a voice for our values.