Chris Russo

President and
Chairman of the Board
American Society of
Travel Agents (ASTA)

Chris Russo, owner of Travel Partners, in Broomfield, Colo., is serving his second term as the president and chairman of the board of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). He was elected on Sept. 7, 2008. Russo has been involved in the retail travel business for 20 years. He was a retail travel agent for 12 years and has been a travel agency owner for the last eight years. Russo was voted one of the top 40 travel professionals under 40 in 2003 by Travel Weekly magazine and voted one of Travel Agent magazine's rising stars in 2003. Most recently, he was recognized as one of the Top Travel Agent Cheerleaders at the TravelAge West Wave Awards. Russo is also an O'ahu Masters Destination Specialist.

Russo has been an ASTA member for seven years and has held many positions in the association. He first became involved on the local level as Vice President of ASTA's Rocky Mountain Chapter. He then became Chapter President and served for two terms. Russo was the chairman of ASTA's Young Professionals Committee and participated in retreats for the Young Professionals to O'ahu. He was elected to serve two terms as the Chapter Presidents Council Chair representative on the Board of Directors.

Russo has owned Travel Partners since 2000, a company that as been in business since 1978. His agency specializes in leisure travel and honeymoons and destination weddings.

Before entering the travel industry, Russo served in the U.S. Navy on the USS Gray. He also worked in the sports and entertainment field in the public relations department for the Denver Nuggets Basketball Club and was Box Office Assistant Manager for the Denver Zephyrs AAA Baseball Club.

Russo is active with his sons in the Boy Scouts of America and is a committee chairman for Cub Scout Pack 111. He is originally from Pittsburgh, Pa., and is an avid Pittsburgh Steeler fan. One of the highlights of his life was attending the Super Bowl in Detroit when the Steelers won the Super Bowl. His mother is retired and lives in the mountains of Colorado and his father is currently the senior vice president of the New Orleans Hornets Basketball Club.