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Head of School Mark A. Devey announced that alumnus Joseph Russella III ‘04 will speak at Perkiomen School’s 148th Commencement on May 27, 2023. Perkiomen School will confer degrees on 85 members of the Class of 2023.
Russella graduated from Muhlenberg College in 2008, earning a bachelor’s degree in economics, and seven years later was named Vice President of MassMutual Philadelphia.
In 2018, Russella recognized that the relationship between insurance companies and insurance agencies needed a complete overhaul, and he founded a startup named Ascension to address the issue. On his way to winning several industry awards, including most recently being nominated for the Philadelphia Business Journal’s Fire Award, which recognizes entrepreneurs that are blazing new trails in the Philadelphia Region, Russella built Ascension from scratch into what it is today: a $25M business with a payroll of more than 100 people.
Russella is also a partner and board member of Coastal Wealth Insurance, based out of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. and the co-owner of Monument, an insurance firm based in Philadelphia whose mission is to simplify the insurance world for high-net-worth individuals. He has provided mentorship and coaching to hundreds of insurance professionals and executives, centered around finding success after graduation, how to create and sustain great company cultures, and living an intentional life.
Born in Norristown, Pa. and currently residing in Phoenixville, Pa. with his family, Russella began attending Perkiomen in ninth grade. As a student at Perkiomen, Russella was active in athletics, earning seven Varsity letters as the captain of the football and basketball teams.
“We are honored to welcome Joe back to Pennsburg as our commencement speaker,” says Devey. “Joe personifies the entrepreneurial spirit, solving problems and adding value. His experience as a leader in athletics at Perkiomen is a model for the balance we offer our student athletes. I know he will pass on meaningful wisdom to the Class of 2023.”
In his address to the Class of 2023, Russella intends to share the lessons he has learned and the strategies he found most effective while building his own company from the ground up.
Perkiomen School’s 148th Commencement will be held on Saturday, May 27, 2023 at 10 a.m. on the Campus Sward of Kriebel Hall, 200 Seminary Street, Pennsburg, Pa.