He is an attorney, a retired United States Navy officer, and a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

He then received a Juris Doctor degree from LSU Paul M. Hebert Law Center and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

In 2006, Futrell was recalled to active duty for twelve months during the Iraq War.

He also led a crisis action team responding to the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear disaster in Japan code named Operation Tomodachi.

In November 2022, Futrell was confirmed as the next City Manager of Riverside and assumed the position in January 2023.