A day in the life of Covenant House Michigan’s Alex Simpson can change each time he walks in the door. And that has been the case for the last 17 years. Alex serves as Assistant Manager for Residential Programs and says his goal is to always maintain a safe environment for our staff and residents.
He started with Covenant House 17 years ago as a part time Residential Advisor and has been in his current role for about 10 years.
“I applied for a part-time position and my journey with Covenant House began,” Alex says. “I love having the opportunity to assist young adults while guiding them toward ending their episode with homelessness forever.”
A Detroit Public Schools alum, Alex received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Oakland University and a master’s in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. He brings a range of experience to Covenant House, including time as an instructor, program developer, and legislative aide for a former state senator.
“There is always something you can do to make yourself better at what you’re doing,” Alex explains. “I continually evaluate myself in this role and try to find ways to serve our residents to the best of my ability.”
Alex is responsible for supervising shift leaders, advisors and social workers, resolving resident issues, and building relationships with outside agencies. All of his responsibilities can change depending on what needs his attention when he walks in the door. He says he’s proud to have the opportunity to serve residents in his role and hopes to build a legacy of positively influencing those he works with.
Outside of Covenant House, Alex has served as a board member on the Parks and Recreation Commission to the Oak Park Recreation Department which provides advice to develop programs based on feedback from the city’s diverse population. He has served on the board for eight years as one of the nine voting members that are elected by members of the Oak Park government including the recreation department and city council.
The commission works to plan, promote, and execute public recreation, parks, programs and other special events in the department. Members like Alex can vote on new projects presented by other board members, the department or Oak Park residents. Alex gets to express his opinion on all topics that come before the commission. He also volunteers to help with programs and events planned by the recreation department.
Alex is part of a team of caring, dedicated, community-focused people who make up our Covenant House Michigan family. Thank you, Alex, for all you do.
