Russ McDonald is a lifelong resident of Madison County. He is a graduate of Finance from the University of Alabama and worked for 32 years in the Huntsville defense contractor community as a project manager and proposal writer. Russ grew up on the family farm and began raising calves for 4-H shows and working as a cotton scout as a young boy. In 1980 Russ joined his father, Albert McDonald, in the family row crop operation, where they raised cotton, corn, wheat, and soybeans until 2020. Russ continued to help his father manage the row crop operation during Russ's tenure in the defense industry. More recently, Russ has developed extensive experience managing farm and other income properties for the family and working through the 1031 exchange process. Russ is married to Kelly and has two adult sons, Matt and Carter.