Russell Jurk

Director

District 4: Lee, Milam and Williamson counties

Chair of the Board’s Audit & Finance Committee; member of Energy Services committee.

For years, Russell Jurk drove past Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative’s offices in Giddings while traveling to work at Bobby Lehmann Trucking.

“As a member of the cooperative, I was always intrigued by what was happening at Bluebonnet,” Russell said. As the vice president and general manager of a regional oilfield trucking fleet, he had seen the effects a rapidly changing environment can have on a private company. “I knew there were changes coming that would also affect Bluebonnet — growth, advances in technology, capacity issues, among others.

“There were already good things going on at the cooperative and I wanted to be involved in them,” he said.

The year 2011 seemed like the right time to get involved, as there were four director seats up for election. His daughter, Ashley, was in college and son Richard, was preparing for college, which freed up time for Russell to serve the community. “The Bluebonnet Board was the perfect opportunity for me to do this.”

Russell, who had earned a technical degree from Southwest School of Electronics in Austin, already had made his mark on the community. He has served several positions with the Giddings Noon Lions Club and he and his wife, Laurie, own Ashley’s Attic, a home décor and collectibles shop in Giddings. At the state level, Russell is a past Chairman of the Texas Trucking Association, and has served as the association’s Foundation Treasurer.  

Russell enjoys work, but also enjoys being outdoors. “Target shooting, hunting and saltwater fishing are my favorite outdoor activities.” He also enjoys a challenge: “I’ve restored some old pickups and Jeeps, and love to tinker with them.”

As a member of the Bluebonnet Board, Russell brings decades of business management experience to the cooperative. “I am responsible for my employees, their families and everyone we share the road with,” he said. “Safety is the first of our core values, and the same goes for Bluebonnet.” As a manager he knows having the right people is one of the keys to success, and he has high praise for Bluebonnet’s employees. 

Russell is ready to tackle issues involving the region’s growth, “As we grow and change from a rural to an urban co-op, there will be many challenges. But, I believe Bluebonnet is and will be in a good position to manage progress,” he said.