Bob Russo began his professional career as a teacher at Roseville Avenue School in Newark, where he became a leader of the Newark Teachers Union, and has continued toserve as a VP for Higher Education in the state-wide AFTNJ faculty union. After earning an M.A. degree in Political Science from Rutgers University in Newark, Bob moved on to college level teaching and various roles in Essex County and State government and education, culminating in his service as Director of Mediation / Intergovernmental Relations & Lemon Laws for the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs. Bob was also the first Director of the Essex County Consumer Services division located in Verona and has served as the volunteer President of the Consumers League of New Jersey. While with NJ government, Bob was active with the CWA union as a shop steward for State employees in Newark.
Bob has taught American Government & Public Administration at Montclair State & Rutgers Universities as a part-time professor for many years, and continues to lead the MSU adjunct faculty union as its current treasurer and former president. He worked for Essex County College as Director of the North Essex Education Center in Belleville, before the West Essex Campus was established.
Bob’s community activities include memberships in the Essex Running Club, the Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area, Blue Wave NJ, the Montclair Art Museum, Montclair Film Festival, and the NAACP. He has also been a strong supporter of the Brookdale Park Conservancy, Friends of Anderson Park, and Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence. He served as Vice Chair of the Second River Joint Committee, comprised of the towns/ cities of Belleville, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Montclair, East Orange, Orange and Newark. Bob also served on the Montclair Planning Board, Board of School Estimate and Library Board during his years on the Montclair Council.
Bob and his wife Christine have been active members of the Montclair Democratic Committee for many years, and as a former resident of Bloomfield, Bob served as Chair of the Bloomfield Democratic Committee for several years, helping elect the first woman to the town Council, with the first Democratic majority in Bloomfield government history. Bob Russo was elected Mayor of Montclair in 2000, after serving as First Ward Council member for 2 terms. He was re elected to three more terms as Council at large with the highest total vote of any incumbent in 2020. Bob has served longer than any other public official in Montclair history, due to his outstanding record of responsive constituent service. He teaches a course in “Government Problem-Solving” at Montclair State University and engages his many students in hands-on, experiential learning, with internships assisting local government officials to resolve issues in their communities.Bob feels he can represent the entire County of Essex on the Board of Commissioners,having been born, raised and worked in Newark, lived in Bloomfield and Nutley, and successfully served the residents of Montclair for many years. “I ask for one of your 4 votes at the Democratic Committee Convention on March 21 st . I have the experience and contacts to be an effective advocate for residents of both urban and suburban communities as a Commissioner at-Large, working with the County Executive and County Commissioners to continue “Putting Essex County First”!