Dr. Alpha Alexander is in administration at Morristown
East High School in Morristown, Tennessee. Prior to that she was the
Executive Director for Knoxville’s Promise, an affiliate of America’s
Promise – the national organization formed by Colin Powell – since
April 2003. Alexander earned her undergraduate degree at The College of
Wooster in Ohio. She received her masters and doctorate degrees in
Physical Education from Temple University in Pennsylvania. She began
her career in 1976 as a graduate assistant in Women’s Athletics at
Temple University. While there she served as assistant director of
athletics from 1980-1983 and acting women’s athletic director from 1981
to 1983. After completing her doctoral work,
Dr. Alexander served as education officer and then director of
community projects for the Women’s Sports Foundation until 1985. She
joined the YWCA of San Francisco as health and wellness director where
she served until 1987, and then became director of heath and sports
advocacy for YWCA of the USA. In 1990, she was named special assistant
to the chief executive officer of the national YWCA organization.
Dr.
Alexander also has the unique distinction of more than a decade of
service on the United States Olympic Committee Board of Directors as
well as leadership roles with the Arthur Ashe Athletic Association. Her
work with the USOC includes serving 12 years on the Member Services
Committee and Legislative Committee. She has also served as a member of
the Olympic and Pan American Sports Advisory Council, and led the U.S.
Delegation for Barcelona, Atlanta and Nagano for the Olympic Youth
Camps. She has led numerous delegations to China, South Africa, Russia
and Cuba. She was named one of the 30 most valuable professionals in
the business of sports in the U.S. by Black Enterprise. She has been
awarded the Nell Jackson Award, the Billie Jean King Contribution
Award, and the Olympic Shield Award – the second female recipient in
history. Alexander’s professional and civic contributions include her
service as co-founder and vice-president of the Black Women in Sports
Foundation. In 2001, the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) named her one of six Silver Anniversary Award recipients. In
2006, the NCAA named her one of the 100 Most Influential NCAA
Student-Athletes of the century. These NCAA awards recognize former
student-athletes who have made significant professional and civic
contributions since completing their collegiate careers. In 2008, Dr.
Alexander received the Distinguished Alumni award from the College of
Wooster in Wooster, Ohio.