Alex Cofiled
Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota
Place of Work: City of Columbus, Department of Development, Fiscal Manager
Tenure at Current Place of Work: 12 years
OWIG Involvement: long-time member (exact years unknown); member of the Steering Committee
Alex has been a part of OWIG for at least a decade, lasting through the organization’s hiatus several years ago, and remaining an active member today.
Alex is a frequent, friendly presence at most OWIG events these days, offering creative suggestions for organizational growth and friendly conversation to new faces around her. A Columbus resident for 24 years, Alex moved to the area initially to pursue graduate school. Never thinking she would end up in the bureaucracy of local government, she aimed for a master’s degree in history with the goal of teaching college. During her years at Ohio State, however, she realized her strengths lay in public administration as opposed to academics. She switched gears to attend what is now the John Glenn School, and has been a happy and devoted public servant ever since!
Alex has put dedicated effort into crafting her brand over the years at the City as the go-to person for a variety of issue areas under her jurisdiction. Earning much respect from fellow colleagues across the City, this broad expertise is what Alex recommends for others seeking promotion or leadership opportunities as well, as it showcases extensive knowledge of and commitment to an organization. She has also found over her years of service that the “path up the ladder” is not always a straight one. But, without a doubt, hard work, new opportunities, and exposure will get you there.
In her spare time, Alex serves as a member of the Columbus Dispatch’s Citizens Advisory Board, which meets monthly to provide feedback on coverage and reader service. She also just completed a year-long appointment on Hilliard’s Charter Review Commission. This leading lady is clearly a jill of all trades; as her elevator speech summarizes: “I am not a lawyer, architect, engineer, or CPA, but I do play them all at work!”