As a third-generation Nevadan, Alex grew up in the Las Vegas Valley and attended high school in the heart of downtown where she experienced a unique microcosm of urbanism while residing in “the entertainment capital of the world.” At 17, she moved across the country after accepting a soccer scholarship to attend the University of Louisiana-Monroe (ULM), where she experienced a vibrant and vastly different cross-section of American life. After graduating with degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice, Alex began preparing to move back to the west coast but decided against her original plan and chose to stay in the rural southern town she fell in love with as a freshman in college. 

Immersed in the local community, Alex coached youth soccer, managed a locally owned gym, and pursued her Master of Business Administration at ULM. During this time, she also worked in collaboration with faculty and staff from three universities and the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) to conduct professional development training for community leaders located throughout the eight-state Mississippi River Delta region. Eventually, Alex moved to Washington, DC after accepting a position with DRA and in her various roles, she assisted the agency with the development of federal programs and interagency initiatives designed to enhance economic opportunity for individuals and businesses residing in the Delta region. At DRA, she focused her efforts on establishing public-private partnerships, scaling innovative workforce training models, fostering place-based development, and capacity building for state and local elected officials. In 2017, Alex developed the Delta Creative Placemaking Initiative, a program designed to improve the quality of life in rural areas by investing in existing assets, cultural amenities, and entrepreneurial community development programs. Alex continues to advise DRA and other public entities on federal program development such as the $30 million Workforce Opportunity for Rural Communities partnership program with the U.S. Department of Labor, Appalachian Regional Commission, and DRA. 

After her stint in public service, Alex was inspired and ready to take on new challenges so she joined the team at Atlas Community Studios to expand her range of economic and community development work in the Delta region and beyond. Alex resides in Washington, DC and spends her downtime exploring new places and meeting interesting people, perusing local bookstores, reliving the glory days playing on her recreational soccer team, and can be found cheering on her favorite sports teams throughout the year – the Vegas Golden Knights, the Las Vegas Raiders, and the Washington Nationals. 

Bachelor of Arts
Criminal Justice & Political Science
University of Louisiana Monroe

Master of Business Administration
University of Louisiana at Monroe

Master of Public Administration
University of Louisiana at Monroe

International Economic Development Council Certification

Harvard Kennedy School Authentic Leadership Development Certificate

Federal program development and implementation

Public policy and legislative affairs

Alignment of regional and federal activities

Funding package creation

Programming creation