Faith, Family, and Friends: 2023-2024 WSDA President Dr. Nathan Russell

Nathan Russell, who began his term as WSDA president at the House of Delegates meeting in September, is a straightforward kind of guy. He has a very clear vision of what’s important to him. “On my tombstone, it probably should read that ‘he loved loyalty,’” Russell says. “I’m extremely loyal to my family, to my friends, to my patients, to the dental profession, and to WSDA. And I value loyalty in return.”

In addition to being motivated by mutual loyalty, Russell also has the unflinching determination to do what it takes to make his personal and professional goals a reality. Inspired by his grandfather, a PhD biologist who taught high school science, Russell knew from an early age that he wanted to pursue a career in health sciences. But he didn’t originally plan on becoming a dentist, instead setting his sights on becoming a cardiovascular surgeon.

After receiving his undergraduate degree with a pre-med major from the University of Washington, he lived in Finland for three years — two on a church mission and a third while attending a year of medical school. When he returned to the states, he applied to both medical and dental schools, comfortable in pursuing either path based on which school accepted him. Fortunately for patients and fellow dentists in Washington, that was the University of Washington School of Dentistry.

“Originally, I didn’t think I’d like dentistry,” he recalls. “But I fell in love with the profession while in dental school.”

Today, as he marks 20 years in practice, he operates three offices on the western shores of Puget Sound — on Bainbridge Island, where he and his family live, and on the Kitsap Peninsula. He splits his time between the three clinics and also works with associate dentists in each. The offices offer a full range of general dental care, but Russell is especially interested in oral surgery, having completed a residency in the field following dental school.

“I love talking with my staff, learning about them, getting to know about their families. We eat a lot together; some of them make great cookies. I feel like my staff is an extension of my family,” Russell says.

MILITARY CAREER

Having completed dental school and his residency, Russell began his career by enlisting in the United States Air Force. His first posting was at Keelser Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, which represented a big change for both the young dentist who grew up in California and was trained in the Pacific Northwest, and for his wife, Brooke, who is a native Washingtonian.

“We learned all about humidity while we were there, but we ended up loving the area and especially the people we met in Mississippi,” he says.

His next assignment was an even bigger change, as he was transferred to Incirlik Air Force Base in Adana, Turkey. But the Russells ended up loving Turkey, too, and have returned several times over the years. Beyond the setting, the post was a great training ground for a dentist who was still early in his career.

Russell explains that his commander on the base spent enough time with him to be comfortable that he knew what he was doing, and then took a hands-off approach. As a result, Russell became “the” dentist on the base, and he had free rein to treat the base population as he saw fit.

“I loved it, because I could just practice dentistry,” he recalls.

Russell’s time in the Air Force — he remains an active reservist — also gave him the opportunity to do a stint providing care in the Arctic for native Alaskans. It may have been his first time caring for an underserved population, but it would be far from his last.

A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

As his practice has developed, it has allowed him to take a number of humanitarian trips to Guatemala, providing dental care to families there.

“I love that type of work, and will continue trying to expand my volunteer efforts,” he says. “It’s very fulfilling. You’re not battling the workforce or dental benefit challenges we battle at home. You’re simply serving people, and the local patients and staff that you’re working with are just so grateful for you being there and willing to help.”

“If I thought I could support myself doing just that type of work, I would.”

These adventures in philanthropic care have provided other rewards as well, such as feeding Russell’s keen interest in international travel. It’s an interest that began with his church mission to Finland, that was amplified by his travels during his military service, and that continues to this day.

When asked what advice he would have given his younger self, Russell immediately focuses on the desire to see more countries and experience more cultures.

“I think I would have advised my younger self to try and find a meaningful career that would provide more opportunities to be mobile,” Russell says. “When you are a dentist, you have an obligation to your patients to be available to them. Your practice keeps you anchored. I certainly don’t regret being a dentist — I love the profession — but it has kept me tied down in one place.”

That doesn’t mean that he hasn’t worked to pass on his global perspective to his children. The Russells have five children, two boys and three girls ranging in age from 13 to 27. As the kids enter their junior year of high school, each picks a country where their mother will take them to spend six months as a home-schooled foreign exchange student. They arrange local housing, make connections with a local church, and split their time between schoolwork and becoming immersed in local art, history and culture.

So far, the children’s choices have included Turkey, Spain, Great Britain, and New Zealand/Australia. Their youngest daughter is looking ahead to her upcoming choice and the current leader is France.

OUTSIDE THE OFFICE

Russell’s time outside the office tends to revolve around his priorities of faith, family, and friends. Not that he doesn’t indulge in pursuing a few personal interests. Harkening back to his Air Force roots, he is currently learning to fly. And he has been an avid Harley-Davidson rider since his 40th birthday.

But more time is spent supporting his family’s activities and interests. While that can include enjoyable activities like family ski trips, it’s not all fun and games. Former WSDA President Ashley Ulmer recalls a board meeting where Russell seemed unusually tired.

“He told us he had stayed up late working on a coop for his kids’ chickens. Naturally, we all gave him props for being such an attentive father. But he told us that his daughter had brought a chicken into the house and let it walk on the kitchen table, and he hated chickens in the house even more than he loved his children. So, he had stayed up all night building the coop!”

Chicken-related construction projects aside, these days Russell enjoys traveling to visit his college-aged children who are studying in California and Utah. (Despite his University of Washington pedigree, he remains an avid fan of BYU, where his two sons graduated, and his oldest daughter is currently enrolled.)

One thing you’ll seldom find is Russell sitting down to watch television or movies.

“The only time I tend to watch TV is when I’m running on the treadmill. There are just too many more interesting things to do to keep busy,” he says.

FOCUSING ON THE NUMBERS

As much as Russell relishes opportunities to “just be a dentist,” he recognized years ago that running a successful practice goes way beyond providing excellent patient care. It includes many other challenges similar to those facing any small business.

“Dentistry has become much more challenging over the course of my career,” he says. “There’s a lot more stress, especially around workforce and dental benefits. I think our profession is evolving to follow the medical model with more consolidation and more corporate ownership of offices and practices. It’s not what it used to be. Dentistry is probably still the last bastion of the private practice model, where it’s just the doctor and the patient, but that is becoming increasingly rare.”

Recognizing these challenges, Russell decided to tap some of his GI benefits and return to the University of Washington, enrolling in the school’s highly regarded Executive MBA program from 2011 to 2013.

Upon graduation, he had an interest in budgeting and finance, and he felt fully prepared to contribute his newfound expertise, so he volunteered to serve on the WSDA Budget & Finance Committee. After serving on the committee for about three years, he was encouraged to run for WSDA secretary-treasurer, an office that he held for two three-year terms and that set him on the path toward becoming president.

Russell took his role as keeper of the WSDA purse strings seriously.

Ulmer says, “The joke around the board table is that anyone wanting approval for any extra-budgetary expenditures should wait until Nathan leaves the room before bringing it up. He has no problem saying ‘no’ to spending!”

LEADERSHIP IN ORGANIZED DENTISTRY

The three-year commitment to serve as president-elect, president, and immediate past president is the culmination of Russell’s long involvement in organized dentistry.

“I started getting involved during my first year at the UW School of Dentistry. I served as UW ASDA president throughout my time at the school,” he recalls.

He also credits the support of three WSDA leaders who served as mentors and encouraged him to become and stay involved: Drs. Rick Crinzi, Denny Homer, and Jeff Parrish.

“They were just very supportive. They stayed in touch with me even when I was in the military,” he says.

Looking ahead to his term as WSDA president, Russell has both a focused and a broad agenda. “Workforce issues and dental benefits challenges will be our top priorities,” he explains. “But I’m interested in anything we can do to support our member dentists.”

That commitment may lead him into some uncomfortable waters. “Policy and advocacy aren’t my strong suits. Both sides drive me crazy, and I find myself becoming increasingly cynical about the political system and what goes on in both Olympia and DC. But government has a direct effect on our lives, even more than we might think,” Russell says.

“With all these external forces, sometimes it just feels like practicing dentistry isn’t as enjoyable as it once was. I think many practices are reaching a breaking point. We still enjoy caring for the patient, but it’s getting harder and harder to focus on that patient.”

“As WSDA leaders, our job is to try and make a difference in protecting that unique doctor-patient relationship. We are giving our time to preserve and protect our profession because we don’t want to watch it fall by the wayside the way so many other professions have,” Russell says.

“If I can do one thing to make it one shade better for those who come behind me, I’ll be happy.”

IN OTHERS’ WORDS

Nathan Russell has worked with a number of presidents during his time on the WSDA Board of Directors. We asked three of them to describe him and his personal leadership style.

Dr. Cindy Pauley
WSDA President, 2018

“Nathan is a man of strong faith, love of family, and service to our community and our country. He is a loyal friend, a wonderful dentist and a dedicated family man. If you are lucky enough to call him a friend, he is as kind, loyal and caring as they come. Nathan is going to thrive as president of the WSDA. His leadership style is collaborative, thoughtful, and driven. He leads with purpose and direction, while never forgetting passion and heart. WSDA could not have a better leader to take us forward.”

Dr. Dennis Bradshaw
WSDA President, 2020-21

“You knew when you first talked with him that he would move up the leadership ladder at WSDA. Nathan isn’t someone who needs to tell you how informed, involved, committed and bright he is — you just know it. His quiet presence speaks volumes. Nathan has always been like the keel on a boat; no matter which way the wind of opinion is blowing, when he adds his point of view, the path forward becomes much clearer. I was a better leader at WSDA because he was part of the leadership team. He always carries his weight, plus more.”

Dr. Ashley Ulmer
WSDA President, 2022

“Nathan and I went to dental school together. We were in the same class and because our names were in the same part of the alphabet, we shared labs and breakout sessions. I’ve always enjoyed working with him because he’s really talented and experienced. He’s always so serious and it was fun to mess with him because he took everything so literally. Nathan is principled; he has integrity and honesty. He is a strong leader and knows how to run a clean and efficient operation. He is kind and considerate and has had a strong working relationship with the leadership and staff of WSDA for a long time. He has helped make WSDA the organization our members expect us to be.”

This article originally appeared in Issue 3, 2023 of the WSDA News magazine.