Braxsten O’Connor-Bell was an accomplished University of St. Thomas senior several years ago who was unclear about a career.
She had watched a TV series about young people working on yachts out of Florida and thought that looked like fun. She ran the idea by her mentor, Russ Nelson, a retired commercial real estate executive known for being as direct as he is loquacious.
“I thought I wanted to work on yachts,” recalled O’Connor-Bell, who concentrated on real estate and finance in business school and works in financial services in Phoenix. “Russ said we are not doing that. I also told him that I was thinking of moving to Arizona. He shared his contacts there with me. Russ helped me with confidence and picking a career.”
O’Connor-Bell is one of several St. Thomas graduates who lauded Nelson for his advice, insights and candor, including discussions with executives from the likes of Opus and Ryan Cos., and on-site visits to nearby Highland Bridge, the former Ford plant site that is a huge housing development in St. Paul.
“Russ really was interested and listened to us students,” said O’Connor-Bell, who works for Vanguard Investments in Phoenix. “He also gives advice and wants us to make good decisions. Russ is a hoot. And he gives off ‘grandpa vibes.’ He’s a great listener. He’s kind of the UST [business school] grandpa.”
Nelson sold his interest in the commercial real estate firm Nelson, Tietz & Hoye to his female senior management team in 2017 to focus on grandkids and retirement with his wife, Nancy. Her 2020 death from pancreatic cancer took the wind out of his sales and left a huge void.
Expanded voluntarism has been the antidote.
Nelson, 77, had been a guest speaker for Herb Tousley, the director of the real estate program at St. Thomas, who died in 2020. Mary Daugherty, a veteran St. Thomas finance professor and administrator, who also had tapped Nelson to teach a capstone course to graduating seniors, encouraged Nelson to step up his engagement as a volunteer mentor. He developed an intensive program, from discussions to internships, and mentors up to 16 students every school year.