Russ Katz

Russell "Russ" Katz (born 1973) is a Technology Manager and Northern Virginia Realtor. Katz was born and grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Following his graduation from high school, Katz enrolled in the University of Maryland majoring in Computer Science with an Anthropology minor. While at the University of Maryland Katz joined the Kappa Alpha fraternity where he met his wife Anna Maria Burlaga. After graduation Katz went on to work in the Technology field for companies such as The Discovery Channel and E*Trade Financial.

Katz married Anna Marie "Amy" Burlaga in the fall of 2000. After moving to Northern Virginia they had two boys, Ryan David Katz (born 2004) and Tyler Harrison Katz (born 2007).

In 2001 a coworker talked him into running after work, as anyone who knows Katz, this was quite out of character. After a couple of weeks of routine running, it became addictive. Then after receiving a book, "Into Thin Air", as a gift, he decided it would push him harder to have a goal and a payoff to work towards. Thus the hiking and climbing began. Katz is now an avid hiker, mountain and rock climber, tackling Africa and the Continental United States' tallest peaks, Kilimanjaro and Mt. Whitney along with many others.