Only two places are still to be filled on the board, Ministry of Health project manager David Graham said yesterday.
Mr Russell was part of the expert panel which reviewed neurosurgery in the South this year and made recommendations to Acting Director-general of Health Andrew Bridgman.
Mr Russell is the former head of Consumer New Zealand and serves on several groups as consumer advocate.
Others serving on the board, chaired by Melbourne neurosurgeon Prof Andrew Kaye, are district health board chairmen Joe Butterfield (Southern), Bruce Matheson (Canterbury) and Murray Cleverley (South Canterbury - representing the other South Island boards) and University of Otago representative Prof Don Roberton.
The positions not yet filled are those of independent neurosurgeon and a South Island iwi nominee, but it is expected they will be when the board has its inaugural meeting on January 25.
The board has to develop the new regional service in Christchurch and Dunedin.
Its terms of reference are not finalised.
