Responsible for all aspects of the organization: fundraising, financial planning, communications, Board stewardship, organizational strategy & theory of change, as well as building support of key stakeholders, including elected officials & partner organizations.In our first 12 months operating, we raised $73,000 in foundation & individual contributions and recruited 100 member-donors.

I worked for the public engagement and communications consulting firm Katz & Associates. I consulted full-time for one of our clients - the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). I work on-site at VTA in its community engagement division. I liked my job because public transit is crucial here in Silicon Valley - we need more and we need to do it right. I worked on VTA's Next Network in 2017 and its New Transit Service Plan in 2019 - changes to where and how frequently VTA's bus and light rail service will run in order to make VTA's system more efficient and carry more riders. Most recently, I am working on the extension of BART into San Jose / Santa Clara County.I'm trained by one of the founders of the International Association for Public Participation on Foundations in Effective Public Participation. In 2019, I co-designed and facilitated 5 public meetings for VTA on the redesign of its transit service plan to incorporate important public input on the plan.

Researched redevelopment of Denver Union Station and Toronto Union Station to get insight and inform the future redevelopment process facing Diridon Station. Interviewed architects, business leaders and neighborhood advocates in these two markets about their experiences and lessons learned that we can apply in San Jose.

FLY strives to reduce crime, violence and incarceration among at-risk youth by providing them with programs such as leadership development, law classes and one-on-one mentoring. FLY has a budget of about $5 million and serves youth in three Bay Area counties: Santa Clara, San Mateo and Alameda.In my role, I directed our organization's effort to foster relationships with, and secure support from, FLY's government partners. I led government contracts from start to finish - beginning in business development phase when opportunities conceived, to responding to RFPs/renewals, to negotiating/executing contracts, and finally to ensuring reporting and performance benchmarks were met. I increased FLY’s government funding by $74k above anticipated revenue in just the first quarter of fiscal year 2017.I also led FLY's policy and advocacy efforts to shape a more humane, effective juvenile justice system. I played a crucial role in Santa Clara County putting a moratorium on fines and fees for juvenile offenders and in the Sheriff's Office creating a jail unit for transitional-age youth (age 18-24).I sat on a seven member senior leadership team charged with oversight of the organization's operations. In addition, I assisted FLY in building community partnerships with other nonprofits and in communicating our efforts to the public. For instance, I advanced from inception to publication an Op-Ed from our CEO that was published in The Mercury News on June 29, 2016 (see link below).

Meeting agendas: http://sccgov.iqm2.com/citizens/default.aspx?About the Collaborative: https://www.sccgov.org/sites/bos/bnc/CABODocs/MaddyReport.html#JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS COLLABORATIVE

Alex was a Policy Aide to one of 5 members of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in the 16th largest county in the country, serving 1.8 million residents in the heart of the Silicon Valley.Alex covered the following issue areas: * Public Safety and Criminal Justice* Government Operations (such as Facilities, Finance, IT and Registrar of Voters)* Sustainability, Energy and the Environment* Land Use and Planning * Economic Development* Transportation - Roads and Airports, Caltrain and VTAHere are some initiatives Alex worked on for Supervisor Yeager:1. An anonymous gun buyback event run by the Sheriff's Office that took over 1,100 guns out of Silicon Valley in one day (Mar 2013)2. Install infrastructure to enable electric vehicle charging stations (Dec 2013) 3. Require pharmaceutical drug manufacturers to cover the cost of safe disposal of unwanted drugs (Dec 2013)4. 1 new deputy sheriff to conduct traffic enforcement and patrol in the Burbank neighborhood (Jun 2014)5. Install new water bottle filling stations alongside drinking fountains (Aug 2014) 6. Add composting as part of services to constituents (Sep 2014, Jan 2015)7. First County in the nation to create an Office of LGBTQ Affairs (Mar 2015)8. Moratorium on water-intensive, green grass lawns at County facilities and replace with native plants (Apr 2015)9. Authorize 13 Santa Clara County cities to establish Urban Agriculture Incentive Zones for which 1,000 parcels may be eligible (June 2015)In 2012, Santa Clara County received a three-year grant from the Equity Project to build the competency in our juvenile justice system around LGBTQ youth issues. A pillar of that work was training County staff who work with LGBTQ youth coming through our juvenile justice system. So far, 850 County staff and stakeholders have been trained. I co-chaired a 15-member workgroup composed of County staff and LGBTQ leaders that developed and presented these four-hour LGBTQ trainings.

The Grand Boulevard is a collaboration of 19 cities, counties, local and regional agencies united to improve the performance, safety and aesthetics of El Camino Real. Starting at the northern Daly City city limit (where it is named Mission Street) and ending near the Diridon Caltrain Station in central San Jose (where it is named The Alameda), the initiative brings together for the first time all of the agencies having responsibility for the condition, use and performance of the street.The Vision: El Camino Real will achieve its full potential as a place for residents to work, live, shop and play, creating links between communities that promote walking and transit and an improved and meaningful quality of life.http://www.grandboulevard.net/

Worked to educate the public about the California High-Speed Rail project in Southern CA.Initiated over 50 community group and elected official briefings, reaching nearly 900 people in 4 months.

Analyzed city, county, state and federal political races and advise BizFed PAC on candidates for endorsement.Authored policy memos tracking L.A. city/county government issues; identify business opportunities for clients.Oversaw complete redesign of company website; writing and editing original website content.

Secured local and national TV, radio, print and new media stories in the nation's largest media market.Managed, promoted, photographed and filmed the Public Advocate's media events and press conferences.Pioneered the creation of, and daily content for, the first-ever blog created by a NYC elected official.Wrote speeches, Op-Eds, testimony, press releases, talking points and statements for the Public Advocate.

Obtained exclusive in the New York Times and a story on the San Francisco Chronicle's front page.Overhauled messaging, branding and organizational identity for clients.

Directed GLAAD's media and communications work in 12 Southern states. Conducted 45 media trainings for 800 advocates and led redesign of GLAAD's entire media training curriculum. Wrote press releases, edited Op-Eds, pitched stories, prepared spokespeople for interviews and monitored media. Strategized with LGBT organizations on long-term media plans, crisis communications and messaging.

Signed up nonprofit clients in two key, untapped sectors: American Red Cross chapters and zoos/aquariums.Crafted company message, met with potential clients to demonstrate services and provided customer support.

Met with community leaders, mobilized supporters in the African American, Latino & LGBT communities.Registered voters, directed 15 volunteers in 3 precincts during the campaign's Get Out the Vote (GOTV) effort.