Her long and distinguished career as a teacher and administrator began in the public schools of West Palm Beach, Florida. She and her family moved to Tallahassee in 1968, where in 1969 she began teaching at Riley Elementary School. Mrs. Russell transferred to Leonard Wesson Elementary School in 1970. There, she served as a teacher, assistant principal and principal for 25 years. Mrs. Russell’s passion for teaching was so great that she initially refused promotions to assistant principal because she would have to leave her classroom. She was eventually persuaded to accept a promotion at an understanding that she could affect more lives of more students in the role of a school administrator.

Mrs. Russell made history in 1985, when she became the first woman and first African-American to serve as principal of Leonard Wesson, a position from which she retired in 1995. Each of the Superintendents that she worked under, praised her as a principal who loved the students, was innovative, inspiring and was a role model for teachers, administrators, and children alike. She created and directed WEDGE a program for school improvement and reorganization, the Conflict Mediator Peer Counseling Program, and the Wesson Teacher Aide Program. In addition, she supervised the complete renovation of Leonard Wesson Elementary School. During most of Mrs. Russell’s tenure, Leonard Wesson’s budget was insufficient. However, Mrs. Russell’s skill, firmness, influence, and determination not only resulted in the completion of a state of the art media center appropriately named in her honor, The Nancy E. Russell Media Center, but she had such an influence on Superintendent of Leon County Schools Jackie Pons that on February 12, 2008, he and school board members voted to rename Wesson the R.N. Gooden/Nancy Russell Center at Wesson, in honor of Mrs. Russell and longtime Tallahassee civil rights activist, Reverend R.N. Gooden.

Even though Mrs. Russell spent the last ten years of her career as principal, she continued to play an involved role in the lives of her students. Her mission for their well-being would forever remain her passion.

In addition to Mrs. Russell’s devotion to her profession, she worked persistently to enrich the quality of life in the community through her memberships in civic, religious, and giving organizations. As a member of the Tallahassee Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Sorority, Inc., Mrs. Russell was one of the main forces in the development and implementation of the Delta Success Academy, an academic and life skills enhancement program for students on the south side of Tallahassee. She allowed the program to be housed at Leonard Wesson, and in addition to assisting with the administration of the program, she was the reading teacher.

In 1993, Leonard Wesson’s new state-of-the-art Media Center was named the Nancy E. Russell Media Center and was re-dedicated in 2004. In 2009, Mrs. Russell earned a spot on Tallahassee Community College’s 9th Annual African-American History Calendar.