Meet the Expert: Alex Chen

Alex Chen is an associate vice president in the government and philanthropy practices.

What is your favorite part about working at Fenton??

My favorite part about working at Fenton is the people I work with as colleagues and clients. Over the years, I have learned so much from my talented coworkers—they have shaped me professionally and personally. Our clients are the changemakers daily, fighting for equity and justice in communities nationwide. It is extremely inspiring and rewarding to see them at work and to help amplify their impact.

What made you choose this career path?

Coming out of college, I knew I wanted to work in social impact/change in some way, shape, or form, but I wasn’t sure what that looked like. I got my start in environmental advocacy, and from there, I fell into communications, mostly by finding out what I wasn’t good at. Don’t ask me to canvas door-to-door for signatures or donations because you will be disappointed! When I got my first communications internship, it finally clicked that this was my path.

Can you tell us about some government and philanthropy clients you work with?

One of my main clients is Battle Creek Public Schools (BCPS), a school district based in the hometown of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in southwest Michigan. In 2017, the foundation gave the district a multi-million dollar, multi-year grant to support its transformation efforts to address the equity and opportunity gap in the community. Since then, Fenton has been BCPS’ day-to-day communications partner, serving as an extension of its communications department.

Tangentially, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation is also one of my main clients. One of my main projects with them is helping their grantees in Mississippi, and New Orleans build their communications capacity through a series of in-person and virtual trainings over the year, covering topics such as how to develop a communications strategy, messaging, and storytelling best practices, and how to be an effective spokesperson.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring public relations professional?

It may seem obvious, but when I’m in a communications or PR pickle, I find it helpful to remind myself to always, always, always return to my goals and my audience.

What’s a personal or professional accomplishment that you’re most proud of? As a PR professional, I am proud to say I have successfully placed an op-ed in The New York Times for a client. Look, Mom, we made it!

Slightly more seriously, I am proud of our work for Battle Creek Public Schools, my longest-standing client. We have worked with them for seven years and have been through so much together. From the early days of huddling around a conference phone speaker (remember those?) finalizing edits on the district’s first staff email newsletter to navigating the shift to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic to announcing a historic college scholarship last year, it has been a journey with lots of sweat and tears (no blood that I can recall thankfully) and mutual learning. It has been cool to see how the school district has built a communication culture and its capacity to manage its day-to-day communications needs proactively. It’s also cool to say we helped them get there.

What social issues are at the forefront of your mind right now?

It is hard in an election year, especially a presidential election year, not to think ahead to November—getting out the vote, positioning our clients to help them advocate for their issues, and stopping this country from seemingly going backward on gender and racial equity. There is a lot to do between now and November!

What do you enjoy doing outside of work??

Outside of work, I am a long-suffering Bay Area sports (and Arsenal) fan, although I acknowledge I am complaining from a position of privilege since the Warriors won in 2022. The Niners were just in the Super Bowl. I also enjoy gaming — I play Overwatch and Final Fantasy VII.

What would you recommend your clients or colleagues see or do first when visiting the Bay Area?

Eat. The Bay Area has many amazing foods, from smash burger pop-ups to Michelin-starred Chinese food. Enjoy the weather—go to Golden Gate Park, hang out by Lake Merritt, or visit Dolores Park. If you will be in San Francisco, always bring a light jacket.