is revolutionizing children's edutainment and motivational speaking for the restaurant lodging and airline industries!  Retro Bill has put fun into safety, self-esteem and character counts education for Kindergarten through 12th graders for the past 13 years, and he is also highly in-demand for his customer service/hospitality presentations for working adults.  Retro Bill is on the road 300 days a year and is seen live by over 1 MILLION American and Canadian fans annually!


Retro Bill has Hosted America’s Independence Day Celebration & Fireworks at Mount Rushmore three times. He's Hosted National Kids Day on The Elipse in front of The White House in Washington D.C., instructed Law Enforcement Officers & School Teachers worldwide on effective ways to educate and connect with school children of all ages. He is a highly sought after children’s safety, self-esteem and anti-bullying expert, who has been featured on television and radio programs worldwide! Retro Bill is currently the most in-demand K-12th grade student assembly speaker in the United States and Canada. Retro Bill motivational customer service/hospitality presentations for employees working in the restaurant
lodging and airline industries have been seen throughout North America Retro Bill motivational presentations relating to duty and service have also been featured at Military Bases throughout the United States.


CNN’s LARRY KING and television/radio celebrity LEEZA GIBBONS have called Retro Bill "The 21st Century Mr. Rogers!" Talk show host Jay Leno has proclaimed that he too is a fan of Retro Bill.
 

Retro Bill holds many honorable titles and affiliations, including the following:


K-12th grade Motivational Speaker

• Corporate Law Enforcement and Educational   Conference Motivational Speaker

• Customer Service and Hospitality Motivational Speaker for Restaurant Lodging and Airline Industries

The Official International DARESafety Buddy

• Official "Character Counts" and Six Pillars of Character Presenter

• Anti-Bullying Presenter

• Host of America's National KidsDay

• Celebrity Spokesperson for the Worldwide KidsPeace organization

• Anti-drug,
tobacco and alcohol abuse Presenter
• Certified Children's Life Improvement Coach

• Celebrity Spokesperson for Bright House Networks' "Keeping Kids Safe Project"

• Official Spokesperson for Orange County, FL Public School's "Change Starts With Me" Community Initiative

• Nationwide "Red Ribbon Week" Assembly Performer

• National "Risk Watch" Program Presenter

• National Safe Schools Week Performer

• Crime Prevention Instructor

• Safe Schools Advisor

• Internet Safety Presenter

• Celebrity Spokesperson for
911 Elerts
• Official Read Across America Buddy

• Advisory Board Member to the Home School Radio Network

• Radio and Television Personality
• Host, Emcee, Actor & Artist


 

Retro Bill official corporate Sponsors include the following:


 
Converse



Sanuk Footwear




Paul Mitchell Hair Systems

 

Ford

Chrysler

General Motors

Nissan


Retro Bill is the alter-ego of writer, director, producer, actor and artist BILL RUSS. RUSS grew up in a Chicago suburb. He's proud of the well-balanced, typical American household he was raised in. He had a tree fort, skateboard, paper routes, a bike and lots of corn fields, lakes, streams and forests to explore as a kid. Winters were filled with snow shoveling, hockey and sledding.


It was a very typical  American family. RUSS' Dad, a U.S. Army Sergeant , instilled patriotic values into his children and encouraged respect for God, Country, Family and your fellow Neighbor. RUSS' Mom always made certain the family had a sit-down  dinner nearly every night of the week, which helped keep them a strong family-unit that still continues to date.


Throughout his elementary, middle and high school years, RUSS witnessed many kids making bad choices and living unhealthy lifestyles, which inspired him to become a role-model and a  Motivational Speaker, encouraging good choices and a healthy lifestyle. RUSS studied psychology and read HUNDREDS of self-help motivational books and countless biographies. His voracious reading habits continue... in fact, he reads at least one book a week! RUSS always admired the 1940's, 50's and early 60's period. In fact, the  1950s era Elvis Presley inspired RUSS' unique retro-style during his senior year of high school, which eventually evolved into Retro Bill


As a high school senior, RUSS took to the motivational speaking circuit, beginning with high school presentations where he spoke out against drugs and teenage alcohol abuse. He also gained much attention for his acting in school plays and the films and videos he was writing, producing and directing at the time.


Good grades and Award-Winning student films took RUSS to college via scholarships. Inspired by heroes Leonardo Da Vinci and Thomas Jefferson, he studied a broad range of subjects including Filmmaking, Television Production, Art, English, Psychology, History, Interior Design and Architecture. While attending Columbia College in Chicago, RUSS caught the attention of Steven Spielberg and his company AMBLIN Entertainment. A meeting with his childhood hero ended with RUSS receiving a scholarship to attend the prestigious USC School of Cinema-Television .


At USC, RUSS wrote, directed and produced an American CINE Eagle Award-Winning student film entitled, "The Last Ride" starring Academy Award-Winning actor Ben Johnson. The film made its debut at the AFI Los Angeles International Film Festival, where the Master of Ceremonies was actor Charlton Heston. The film was remade into a feature film by Warner Brothers, entitled, "My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” starring Scott Glenn, Kate Capshaw-Spielberg, Ben Johnson and Mickey Rooney .


Following in the footsteps of one of his childhood heroes filmmaker George Lucas, RUSS was recruited during his attendance at USC by the United States Navy Combat Camera Unit, where he worked with and trained members of the United States Navy and Marine Corp in documenting military life through the use of still and motion imagery. The Combat Camera Unit provides the Department of Defense a directed imagery capability to support operational planning, public affairs, mission assessment, and military exercises around the globe.


After his tenure at USC, RUSS went on to pursue his career in the entertainment industry. He kept busy writing and selling screenplays in addition to directing music videos for artists such as Michael McDonald and Kenny G , commercials for companies including and , infomercials for various companies that included and television programs for networks and . RUSS became a highly sought-after theatrical and live presentation director and producer,  specializing in a variety of areas including optical, water, aerial and laser effects combined with interpretive choreography.


Gradually,  RUSS came to the realization that it was time to devote his full-time energies to following  his real passion in life, which was, and remains, to make a positive difference in the World!  RUSS, as his alter ego Retro Bill, is dedicated to inspiring people to be the best they can be! With that goal in mind, RUSS (as Retro Bill) took his live show on the road full-time in 1998, touring malls,  elementary, middle and high schools , civic centers, military bases , college stadiums, parks, street fairs, churches and classic car shows!


RUSS directed, and as Retro Bill co-starred in numerous episodes of "LA Rat," a UK children's television program starring beloved British puppet character Roland Rat. "LA Rat" was shot in Southern California and aired for two seasons on the UK's Channel 5. RUSS has also done extensive work as a voice-over actor for radio and  television commercials and animated cartoon shows.


In 2001, using his life-savings, RUSS wrote, produced, directed and starred in the Award-Winning video "DARE Safety Tips Starring Retro Bill." This video is being used by thousands of DARE police officers throughout  the United States and Canada. It has also been dubbed in other languages for youth audiences worldwide! Over 36 million children across the globe enrolled annually each year in the International DARE program view the "DARE Safety Tips Starring Retro Bill."


In 2011, Retro Bill celebrates his 13th year as the “Official International DARE Safety Buddy.” Founded in 1983, the international DARE program is a law enforcement officer instructed anti-drug & violence program that educates 26 million American and 10 million foreign school children each year!


Retro Bill is proud to be an Official "Celebrity Spokesperson for KidsPeace," an organization dedicated to the physical and psychological well-being of children worldwide. Retro Bill is the Official Host of National Kids Day, which is celebrated each August in the United States.  National Kids Day is a nationally recognized day for families to observe the "importance of quality time together."


Retro Bill has received "personal thanks" for his efforts on behalf of America's youth from a number of prestigious organizations and government entities such as the United States Senate, The White House Office of Drug Control Policy, the FBI's Community Outreach Program, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and the United States National Park Service .


Since December 2004, Retro Bill has annually hosted the FIRST LEGO LEAGUE "Robotics Championship" held in California. The annual event is sponsored by LEGO, 3M Corporation and DURACELL and is a powerful way for Retro Bill to assist in inspiring America’s next generation of “Techies!” Retro Bill believes in encouraging the next generation to seek breakthroughs in technology and the medical field to guarantee a better future for themselves and the Earth's environment!


Currently, Retro Bill can be seen globally on the Trinity Broadcast Television Network and on the Smile of a Child Television Network. Retro Bill is a celebrity spokesperson for cable television provider Bright House Network 's "Keeping Kids Safe Project" and for the 911 Elerts
mobile phone application.


Since 2008, Retro Bill has been making live appearances at schools throughout Canada. Retro Bill has also made live appearances in the Caribbean and Mexico.


In November 2009, Retro Bill released his second children's video, "Retro Bill Safety & Self-Esteem Tips" to much demand and critical acclaim.


In 2010, Tim Hortons, the largest food service restaurant chain in Canada, partnered with Retro Bill as a corporate motivational hospitality spokesperson, encouraging the company's Team Members to dedicate themselves to providing outstanding guest satisfaction and exemplary customer service. Numerous Retro Bill motivational Keynote Speech appearances at Tim Hortons Team Member Hospitality Rallies were presented to the company's employees across the Provinces of Canada in 2012 and  2011. The Tim Hortons partnership with  Retro Bill will continue with Team Member Hospitality Rallies in the United States and Canada  throughout 2012.


In 2011, Retro Bill debuted on the American Forces Television Network. This will bring the positive messages of Retro Bill via public service announcements on television to the  children of military personnel stationed worldwide.


In 2012, Retro Bill teamed up with Bright House Networks and
Orange County Public Schools to become the Official Spokesperson for the "Change Starts With Me" Community Initiative. This character-based program has been implemented throughout Greater Orlando, Florida via televised Public Service Announcements, social media, and within elementary, middle and high schools in one of the largest school districts in the United States.


Over the years, Retro Bill has lent his support to non-profit charities and organizations that he believes in such as DARE, Meals on Wheels, KidsPeace, C.O.A.C.H. for Kids, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, The Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts of America, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), The Red Ribbon Coalition, The Character Counts program, The USO and  the United States Armed Forces.

 

Retro Bill has received numerous accolades and accommodations including:


Keys to cities

Law Enforcement and Educational Certificates of Appreciation

• Mayoral, Gubernatorial, and State Proclamations and Plaques

•  Letters of Recommendation from Educators, Law Enforcement and Government officials

• Accolades from numerous Government and Military agencies


Retro Bill is honored to know that his live performances, videos and television programs are entertaining and inspiring the youth of America, Canada and other countries to pursue their biggest dreams , while warning them to stay away from the ills of society that can be dream stealers: drugs, alcohol abuse, tobacco, bullying, gangs and giving up! Retro Bill is also thrilled to know that his Award-Winning videos, the “DARE Safety Tips” and "Retro Bill Safety & Self-Esteem Tips" are helping to keep children worldwide safe!”


Retro Bill is currently developing more videos and a series of motivational books aimed at students K-12. He has plans to launch another Retro Bill television show, a weekly family radio program, an animated kids show, and to expand his many positive-minded business ventures, including his colorful line of pop art & apparel!


Retro Bill believes, “The future of the World is in its Youth! As Adults, I believe we need to do everything we can to motivate and inspire children to make healthy choices! It is the greatest feeling in the world to know that I am helping in some way to make the World a better place!”

 

Stay tuned for more!

 

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