Alex’s journey can’t be told without first mentioning baseball and the influence the sport would have on the traits and characteristics that shape his mindset. Baseball – a sport where success sits atop a mountain of failures – taught Alex the values of patience and persistence, attention to detail, and that true success demands that we first learn from wrestling with failure and adversity.

Following a brief stint in professional baseball, Alex began to apply these core values in service to others in the non-profit sector. As Director of Missions at First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge, Alex led the development of a start-up home repair ministry, Revive225, that delivered creative solutions to the challenges inherent in the early stages of a growing non-profit. Revive225 would grow from concept to self-sustaining ministry, serving over 100 families in Greater Baton Rouge while utilizing the skills of over 2,500 nation-wide volunteers.

During his time at the church, Alex gained an interest in fundraising and would eventually make a move to hone his craft as a fundraiser. He would do so at the LSU Foundation where, over the course of 4.5 years, he would represent eight different units on campus in five different national regions, raising over $2 million in support of students and faculty at LSU. The relationships he developed with donors and campus leaders remain dear to him.

Alex believes non-profits play a vital role in the sustainability of healthy communities. His experience in both cultivating philanthropic gifts and measuring the return on impact from philanthropy led to partnering with Ethan Bush and Thirty Three Strategies (33S). Together, and among an ecosystem of like-minded community leaders, they are driven to maximize community impact, the missions of non-profits, and the talents of those who lead them.

Alex is a graduate of Tulane University where he was a four-year starter on the Tulane Green Wave baseball team. As a student-athlete, Alex earned the Jim and Joan LeBreton Inspirational Award, two Conference USA and NCAA honors, and was co-captain of the 2013 team. He was a member of the 2013 MLB Draft class, a 33rd round selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks, spending two seasons in their minor league farm system.

Alex is a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana where he also resides with his family. He and his wife, Mary, are proud parents to daughters Joanna and Mary James.