Stubbs, S. Russell

Head shot of suited businessman (Russell Stubbs) smiling against grey backdrop
Name: 
Stubbs, S. Russell
Title: 
President and CEO of Frozen Food Express Inc.
Texas A&M Class: 
1985
Inducted: 
2014

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Biography:

Stoney Russell Stubbs, more commonly known as Russell, graduated from Texas A&M University in 1985 with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Economics. During his time at A&M, he was the Bonfire Crew Chief, Schuhmacher Yellow Pot, member of Saddle and Sirloin, and made the Dean’s List during his senior year.

In 1986, immediately following his December 1985 graduation, Mr. Stubbs began work with Frozen Foods Express Inc. (FFE). FFE was started as a small family business in 1948 and had grown to become the largest perishable transporter of food and agricultural products in the US by 1990. Mr. Stubbs’ leadership helped the company grow through acquisitions and his ability to leverage technology throughout the company. FFE was one of the first trucking companies to use onboard computing technology in the early 1990s, a project that Russell undertook. The company has been on the leading edge of trucking technology since. In addition to onboard communication, FFE has used fuel and route optimization, map and door-to-door directions, refrigeration unit telematics, which is typically an integrated use of telecommunications and informatics used for application in vehicles and with control of vehicles on the move, and other diagnostic applications that were unheard of prior to 1990.

During the same time that Russell was working to improve and stimulate FFE, he was made president of Lisa Motor Lines, Inc., a subsidiary of FFE, where he remained until 2006. Following his leadership of Lisa Motor Lines, he was made vice president and COO of FFE where he continued to improve the use of technology and efficiency of FFE’s daily operations. In 2008, after two years of being vice president and COO, Russell was promoted to President of FFE. Mr. Stubbs’ continued success and improvement garnered him further promotion to president and CEO of FFE in 2011.

FFE, under Russell’s leadership, has worked very closely with state and federal law enforcement agencies to improve the safety profile of the trucking industry. FFE has won numerous safety awards because of his efforts and hard work, including the Kay Crimm award from the Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA) in 2006 and was selected as the Texas Motor Transportation Association’s Leader of the year in 2009. Russell’s work in the industry trade associations has also helped change the image of the industry through advocacy in Austin and Washington, D.C. He has also worked closely with the FDE, USDA, and various food safety groups to continue to make sure the products that are transported by FFE arrive to the consumer safely and in pristine condition.

Although Russell has been working for FFE since his college graduation in 1985, his successes have not been limited to just within the company he has worked so diligently and successfully to help build.  He has held many distinguished positions for other associations and organizations. Mr. Stubbs was Chairman of the Texas Motor Transportation Association (TMTA) from 1999-2006. He was made officer and board member of the Truckload Carriers Association in 2008, a position he still maintains today, and in 2010 he became an executive committee and board member of the American Trucking Association, another position he still holds today.

Russell has contributed considerable time and effort to giving back to Texas A&M University and the Department of Agricultural Economics. He has been a member of the Agricultural Development Council since 2006, a 12th Man Endowed Donor since 1993, and is a Texas A&M Foundation donor. He and his wife Dawn live in Dallas and have two sons; Jason Corby ’07, and Stoney Reese who passed in 2011.

Click Below for Video Interview: 
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Transcript - Russell S. Stubbs Interview.pdf133.78 KB