Russ Florence is an Oklahoma-based public relations and leadership consulting executive whose career spans journalism, corporate communications, strategic planning, reputation management, and community service. He is best known for his leadership role at Schnake Turnbo Frank, where he works with organizations and executives on communications, leadership, reputation, and organizational challenges.
Quick Answer
Russ Florence is a public relations and leadership consulting executive based in Oklahoma City. He is partner, president, and CEO of Schnake Turnbo Frank. His work centers on strategic planning, executive coaching, reputation and crisis communications, media relations, and organizational leadership. He joined the firm in 2001 and became a partner in 2007.
Key Takeaways
- Russ Florence is partner, president, and chief executive officer of Schnake Turnbo Frank.
- His professional background includes journalism, corporate communications, public relations, leadership consulting, executive coaching, and reputation management.
- He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University and completed the Duke Executive Leadership Program.
- His documented civic work includes leadership and board involvement with Oklahoma organizations, while his professional recognition includes the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice’s 2023 Nancy Day Spirit Award.
Who Is Russ Florence and What Does He Do?
Russ Florence is partner, president, and chief executive officer at Schnake Turnbo Frank, a public relations and leadership consulting firm. He is based in the firm’s Oklahoma City office and helps lead its strategic growth and external affairs.
His professional work covers several connected areas, including strategic planning, executive coaching, reputation management, crisis communications, media relations, integrated communications, and leadership development. His career also draws on earlier experience in journalism and corporate communications.
Note: This profile concerns Russ Florence, the Oklahoma City public relations executive. Florence, Oregon, and its C.R.O.W. youth-arts organization are separate subjects and are not part of his verified professional biography.
Russ Florence’s Career in Public Relations and Consulting
Florence has built a career across several sides of communications. According to his professional biography, his experience includes journalism, nonprofit work, corporate leadership, entrepreneurship, and consulting. That mix gives him experience with both the public-facing and organizational sides of communication.
Before joining Schnake Turnbo Frank, Florence managed corporate communications for BOK Financial Corporation. He joined Schnake Turnbo Frank in 2001 and became a partner in 2007. The firm’s current company history identifies him as its president and CEO.
| Career Area | Verified Detail |
|---|---|
| Earlier experience | Journalism, nonprofit, corporate communications, and related leadership work |
| BOK Financial | Managed corporate communications before joining Schnake Turnbo Frank |
| Schnake Turnbo Frank | Joined in 2001 and became a partner in 2007 |
| Current leadership | Partner, president, and chief executive officer |
His areas of practice show how closely leadership and communication can overlap. Reputation management may involve understanding how customers, employees, community members, or other stakeholders view an organization. Crisis communications requires preparation, clear messaging, and coordinated decision-making when an organization faces a difficult event. Executive coaching and strategic planning, meanwhile, focus more directly on leadership and organizational performance.
Education and Professional Development
Florence is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications. His OSU connection has continued beyond graduation. An Oklahoma State University news article from 2006, for example, identified him as an OSU graduate while he was serving as president of the Tulsa Press Club.
His official Schnake Turnbo Frank biography also lists completion of the Duke Executive Leadership Program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
The combination fits his later professional work. Agricultural communications brings together communication skills and specialized subject matter, while executive-leadership training supports work involving organizational strategy, coaching, and management.
Leadership Development Programs and Training
Leadership development is an important part of Florence’s professional record. A biography published by the Rookie League Foundation credits him with creating and developing Schnake Turnbo Frank’s Leadership & Reputation Academy.
That biography reports that the academy has been delivered to more than 600 leaders in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Dallas. It also credits Florence with starting the firm’s Inclusion & Diversity Consortium, which the biography says has reached more than 1,500 people since 2017.
Florence’s documented work extends beyond conventional media relations into leadership development, executive coaching, organizational culture, reputation, and strategic planning.
Those programs help explain why describing him only as a public relations practitioner would be incomplete. His career sits at the intersection of communications and organizational leadership.
Community and Civic Involvement
Community service has also been a recurring part of Florence’s career. His current Schnake Turnbo Frank biography lists involvement with organizations connected to youth programs, health, the arts, business, and community relations.
The firm’s biography lists roles or involvement with organizations including the Oklahoma Caring Foundation, Oklahomans for the Arts, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice. A separate Rookie League Foundation page also carries a board biography for Florence.
Some older biographies document additional service. A Rotary Club of Oklahoma City biography, for example, describes him as a former board member of the OSU Foundation and says he served on the boards of the Oklahoma City Memorial and Oklahoma Contemporary. Because civic appointments change over time, older board roles should be treated as historical service rather than automatically assumed to be current.
Florence also has a documented history with the Tulsa Press Club. Oklahoma State University identified him as the organization’s president in a July 2006 article about the Governor Henry Bellmon/Tulsa Press Club President’s Distinguished Scholarship at OSU-Tulsa.
Leadership Themes in Russ Florence’s Public Relations Work
Florence’s documented areas of expertise point to several practical themes in modern public relations. Communication is not limited to issuing press releases or responding to reporters. It also affects how leaders make decisions, how employees understand organizational priorities, and how outside audiences interpret an organization’s actions.
- Reputation requires long-term attention. Public perception is shaped by repeated actions and communication, not one campaign.
- Crisis preparation matters before a crisis begins. Organizations benefit from clear responsibilities, decision processes, and communication plans.
- Leadership and communication are closely linked. Executives must explain priorities clearly while listening to employees, customers, and community stakeholders.
- Strategic planning gives communication a purpose. Messages are more useful when tied to specific organizational goals rather than created in isolation.
These themes are consistent with the services and professional specialties listed in Florence’s official biography, including strategic planning, executive coaching, reputation management, crisis communications, media relations, and integrated communications.
Why Does Storytelling Matter in Community Development?
Storytelling can help organizations explain who they are, why their work matters, and how their goals affect real people. In community-focused communication, facts and plans remain important, but audiences also need enough context to understand why an issue deserves attention.
Strong storytelling is most useful when it is accurate and connected to a real purpose. A community organization might use personal experiences to explain a local need, while a business might show how a project affects employees or customers. Public relations professionals can help organize those stories without replacing evidence or overstating results.
This connection between communication and community work is relevant to Florence because his documented career combines public relations, leadership consulting, nonprofit experience, civic involvement, and organizational strategy.
Russ Florence’s Current Professional Focus
The most reliable current information about Florence points to continued work in public relations, leadership consulting, organizational development, and community engagement rather than clinical mental-health treatment. Schnake Turnbo Frank’s company history, updated in August 2026, continues to identify him as president and CEO.
Reputation and Crisis Communications
Reputation management and crisis communications are among the specialties listed in Florence’s professional biography. These disciplines help organizations understand public perception, prepare for high-pressure situations, communicate with stakeholders, and protect credibility when problems occur.
Crisis work can involve preparation as much as response. Leadership teams need clear decision-making roles, accurate information, coordinated messaging, and an understanding of the audiences affected by an event.
Leadership and Organizational Development
Florence’s work also includes strategic planning, executive coaching, and leadership development. His role in developing the Leadership & Reputation Academy provides a concrete example of this part of his career.
Leadership consulting differs from conventional publicity work because it often starts inside the organization. Communication problems can reflect unclear priorities, weak decision processes, cultural problems, or a gap between what an organization says and what it does.
Community and Nonprofit Work
Florence’s professional and civic biographies show a long connection to nonprofit and community organizations. Schnake Turnbo Frank also provides nonprofit consulting services, including strategic planning, organizational development, fundraising support, leadership development, executive search, and public relations.
His continued participation in company events reinforces that connection. At Schnake Turnbo Frank’s 2025 People & Culture Summit, Florence was listed as a facilitator for a nonprofit problem-solving session.
Connect With Russ Florence Online
For current professional information about Russ Florence, the strongest starting point is his official Schnake Turnbo Frank biography. It contains his current title, professional specialties, education, community involvement, and company contact information.
Professional Profile
Florence also maintains a public LinkedIn profile identifying him with Schnake Turnbo Frank and his public relations and management-consulting work.
Follower and connection counts should not be treated as permanent biographical facts because they change over time. Linking directly to a current profile is more useful than publishing an old numerical count.
Company Content and Speaking
Florence’s official biography notes that he is a frequent speaker for universities, professional associations, and business groups. Schnake Turnbo Frank’s website is therefore a useful source for current company events, leadership programs, and professional appearances.
His public work covers subjects that can include reputation, leadership, communications, organizational strategy, and community engagement.
Networking and Public Events
Older articles and biographies show that Florence has participated in professional associations, civic organizations, press-club leadership, community boards, and business events. Those records help document the breadth of his network, but current event schedules and memberships should always be checked through the organization involved.
Pro Tip: When researching a professional biography, prioritize the person’s current employer and the organization directly connected to a role or award. Older biographies are useful for career history, but board positions, titles, and social-media statistics can change.
Sources
- Schnake Turnbo Frank: Russ Florence — current title, professional background, education, specialties, community involvement, and recognition.
- Schnake Turnbo Frank: About Us — current company leadership and firm history, updated in August 2026.
- Rookie League Foundation: Russ Florence — career history, Leadership & Reputation Academy, and Inclusion & Diversity Consortium.
- Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice: Oklahoma City Annual Awards — 2023 Nancy Day Spirit Award.
- Oklahoma State University: Henry Bellmon Scholarship Announced at OSU-Tulsa — historical confirmation of Florence’s OSU connection and Tulsa Press Club presidency.
- Schnake Turnbo Frank: People & Culture Summit — recent professional and nonprofit-focused event participation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Russ Florence do?
Russ Florence is a public relations and leadership consulting executive. He is partner, president, and chief executive officer at Schnake Turnbo Frank. His listed expertise includes strategic planning, executive coaching, reputation management, crisis communications, media relations, and integrated communications.
Where does Russ Florence work?
Russ Florence works at Schnake Turnbo Frank and is based in the firm’s Oklahoma City office. The company’s current history identifies him as its president and CEO.
What is Russ Florence’s educational background?
He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural communications from Oklahoma State University. His professional biography also lists the Duke Executive Leadership Program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
What community organizations has Russ Florence supported?
His professional biographies document involvement with organizations connected to youth programs, the arts, health, business, education, and community relations. His Schnake Turnbo Frank profile lists organizations including the Oklahoma Caring Foundation, Oklahomans for the Arts, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, and Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice. Older biographies document additional past board service.
What awards has Russ Florence received?
His official biography lists several honors, including the Oklahoma Center for Community and Justice’s Nancy Day Spirit Award in 2023, recognition in 405 Business Magazine’s Metro’s Most Influential list in 2023, The Journal Record’s Power List of Leaders in Workplace Diversity in 2023, and Downtown OKC Rotary Club’s Rotarian of the Year honor for 2015-2016.
Conclusion
Russ Florence’s verified career is rooted in public relations, leadership consulting, corporate communications, and civic involvement in Oklahoma. As partner, president, and CEO of Schnake Turnbo Frank, his work spans strategic planning, executive coaching, reputation management, crisis communications, media relations, and leadership development. His background at Oklahoma State University, earlier corporate communications experience, leadership programs, and community service provide a much clearer picture of his professional record than the unrelated Florence, Oregon material previously associated with his name.
