Kellen Russoniello is the Director of Public Health at the Drug Policy Alliance. He drives DPA’s efforts to expand public health approaches to drug use, including increasing access to harm reduction interventions and evidence-based substance use disorder treatment. Kellen facilitates a table of advocates dedicated to expanding overdose prevention centers nationwide. He supports partner organizations across the country by drafting drug policy reform legislation, developing supportive advocacy materials, and providing technical assistance.
Kellen has been fighting for drug policy and criminal legal system reform for over fifteen years. Prior to joining DPA, he worked for Community Legal Aid SoCal and for the ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties. Kellen has also served on the national board of directors for Students for Sensible Drug Policy. His writings on drug policy have been published in the Yale Journal of Health Policy and Ethics, American Journal of Law and Medicine, Drug Science, Policy and Law, and the Journal of Law, Medicine and Ethics. Through these experiences, Kellen has developed a deep expertise in the intersections of public health and criminalization.
Kellen earned his J.D. and Master of Public Health from The George Washington University. He earned his B.A. from Eastern Washington University. He was born and raised in Spokane, WA. Kellen currently lives in Orange County, CA with his wife and three children.
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