Alex Southard serves as the Small Business Engagement Specialist in the Economic Development Department at the City of San Diego. Driven by the desire to increase opportunities for local business operators, she specializes in outreach and engagement to share resources and programs directly to businesses, business districts, and the nonprofit organizations that support them. She helps business owners navigate City requirements and administers grants to business-serving community-based organizations. Prior to her current position in the Economic Development Department, she was the Promise Zone Coordinator and worked directly with partners to advance economic prosperity among businesses within the Southeastern communities. Previously she worked in the arts and culture field in Balboa Park.

Alex holds a B.A. in Women’s Studies and History with a minor in Africana Studies from the University of South Florida and a M.A. in Museum Studies with an emphasis on nonprofit management from San Francisco State University. She also holds a certificate in Business Intelligence from UCSD Extension. She was a 2020 Fellow of the San Diego Leadership Alliance Institute.