Russ Nitchman

After years of watching the Town Board, Russ Nitchman teamed up with Mauricio Medina and Kevin (Francis K) Feeney. Although they come from different backgrounds politically, they have the same concerns about the direction Danby has been heading. They formed an independent party, the Danby Roots Party, with the belief that it was time to get elected, because complaints without action or willingness to get involved are just noise.

The Nitchman Family purchased 104 acres and a “barn” house from Jimmy Miller 23 years ago. Russ has been married to a wonderful lady, Kim, for over 37 years. They have 5 adult children and 2 grandchildren (and counting!).

One of Russ’s greatest passions is wildlife management and improving habitat for game and non-game species. He has practiced it here in Danby for 22 years. He planted 60 acres of native warm season grasses on 2 properties for bird habitat (and according to NRCS it is the largest stand in the northeast!). Each year an additional 20-30 acres of food plots are planted which are left for all wildlife to enjoy.

Russ is a dual-licensed Agricultural Educator and Biology/Earth Science Teacher, teaching 29 years in Queens and Brooklyn. He retired in July 2018 after enjoying the diversity of students from all over the world, even keeping in touch with many to this
day. We attended a multi-ethnic church in Queens for over 25 years which gave the opportunity to become friends with people from over 40 different countries.

Russ grew up in Central NJ (farmland region) developing a passion for the outdoors, hunting and fishing. Russ worked on his Great-Uncle’s potato and grain 500 acres tillable farm that morphed into a pick your own farm of 20 acres with grain on the side. At 14 years of age he began and developed a successful landscaping business that payed for both college and graduate school. Beginning as a Landscape Architect at Rutgers University, Cook College, he graduated with a BS in Environmental Design. This degree gave him practical studies in planning for and leading a town like Danby.

Russ is a leader who loves to encourage others to use their talents to benefit the larger community (rather than micromanage and control others). He has learned well to listen to others, and to work with a diverse group of people with differing world views than his, coming up with compromise conclusions that are livable to all. We have worked amongst diverse people from dozens of other nations and cultures and befriended many of these folks while living in NYC.

PS from his wife: Russ is a passionate man who has been occasionally misunderstood. Those who know him may disagree with his forward style, but realize that his heart is compassionate and he is willing to listen and learn what is important to people. Russ is a leader but is equally good at pitching in to do the grunt work as he is at helping others to discover ways that they can contribute to community and the needed tasks that build community.