Born in Arlington, Virginia and raised in McLean just outside Washington, D.C., David Colin Russell earned a BS and MBA from Virginia Tech, and made his way through school playing in five rock groups. He started his career in the Federal Govern- ment as an auditor and econo- mist and then served on U.S. Senate staff for four years, including two years with the Senate Republican Policy Committee under John Tower of Texas. It was there he met President-Elect Reagan’s campaign manager, Senator Paul Laxalt, who asked him to work on the Reagan Transition Team. Staying on for President Reagan’s first term, Russell held roles of Deputy Assistant Secretary and deputy bureau chief. Moving to the private sector and Omaha, he changed gears and spent 17 years in technology, not as a coder, but in strategic planning and operations, the last six years of which he was president and chief operating officer of ACI Worldwide, where he traveled to 42 countries and helped take the company public. Taking some time off to enjoy traveling to homes in Aspen and Scottsdale with his beautiful artist wife, Sandra Dee, and their Golden Retrievers, Russell rejoined the corporate mix, this time in healthcare. He now serves as COO for physician practices and surgery centers and as president of Cranium Ventures, a FinTech start-up.   He is based in Melbourne, Florida – a surfer, dog, and biker friendly beach community that puts a smile on your face. The Socratic Contract is Russell’s first novel with a spinoff, Vengeance, Inc., planned for next year.