Alexandria Cooley

With more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, grantmaking, program design, and youth development, Alexandria Cooley, is Senior Advisor to the CEO at East Bay Community Foundation.  

Alexandria previously served as the Chief Program Officer at Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY), a Bay Area nonprofit.  She spent 10 years in a variety of roles at AmeriCorps, a federal grantmaking agency, and most recently served as Deputy Regional Administrator of the Southeast Region. During her time at AmeriCorps, she and her team managed grant awards and project development of over $80 million across a six-state region. She was instrumental in supporting the agency through a transformation process that resulted in the development of new positions, a modification in grantmaking processes, and the hiring and training of 20 new staff members within her region. Alexandria also served in leadership roles at youth development and K-12-based institutions.  

A native of Brooklyn, NY, Alexandria is a first-generation Haitian-Cape Verdean American, 2021 Council on Foundations Career Pathways Fellow, and a 2003 Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) fellow. She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Connecticut College, a master’s degree in nonprofit management from The New School for Social Research, and a certificate in federal grants management. Alexandria is an active volunteer and mentor in her community and is committed to supporting the eradication of poverty and the development of equitable structures.  

She and her husband, John, have two daughters and enjoy time with family, cooking, and kayaking.