Alex has a professional background in urban planning and community development, a passion she developed growing up in the suburbs of Chicago. Just a quick train ride away from the city, she spent many formative school nights and weekends traversing between music venues, architectural gems, and the lakefront. Also known as the "City in a Garden," Chicago inspired her to work towards bringing more nature into cities.

In her role as Community Planning Manager with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Alex collaborates with leaders from local community organizations, city officials, and planning initiatives to advance green infrastructure and equitable community development goals. Alex’s work is driven by the belief that Great Lakes cities have a future as some of the strongest and most prosperous cities in the world, and she is passionate about planning them in a sustainable and equitable way. She loves Detroit and is drawn to planning and sustainability work to preserve and uplift the elements of the city that make it so great, while also building it a resilient future.

Prior to her work as an urban planner in Detroit, Alex spent a lot of time planting and maintaining desert gardens as a resident of Arizona, where plants like cacti were adept at water conservation and management. While few of the techniques she learned as a desert gardener come in handy in the Great Lakes region, Alex continues to be inspired by natural solutions to water challenges. Alex received a dual bachelor’s degree sustainability and urban planning from Arizona State University, along with a minor in landscape studies. In her spare time, Alex enjoys live music, bike rides, books about feminism and cities (usually separately), exploring cities by foot, and experiencing Detroit with her friends.