Meet the Director - USEDA Center

Alex Rivera, MPA is the Director of the Center for Economic and Workforce Development, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He leads Kean University’s United States Economic Development Administration (USEDA) University Center grant, positioning Kean as a statewide and regional leader in developing and amplifying place, talent and innovation-based assets across economic ecosystems in New Jersey.

Rivera has 10 years of experience in state, county and municipal government in Arizona and New Jersey, including parks and natural resource management, economic and workforce development, public works and youth services. His career is defined by a focus on creating social, economic and environmental vibrancy in historically disinvested communities. 

Prior to becoming a director at the Watson Institute, Rivera spent several years learning about degraded natural environments and their connection to social and economic challenges at the Mercer County Park Commission (MCPC) and Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. At MCPC, he led urban environmental restoration projects to restore sections of Trenton’s historic Cadwalader Park and re-create natural water cycles at Roebling Park, part of the historic Abbott Marshlands along the Delaware River.

Rivera previously worked for the Watson Institute as coordinator of a unique Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) funded by the USEDA, which created the first regional, urban-focused CEDS, allowing New Jersey Urban Mayors Association (NJUMA) member cities to access federal funding for economic and workforce development projects. 

Prior to the completion of this plan, New Jersey was unable to access critical federal funding. The CEDS experience created a blueprint for the Watson Institute’s thought leadership, leading to receipt of USEDA’s UC grant. The Kean EDA University Center is the first in New Jersey to have a statewide focus on urban communities.

Rivera was a Marvin Andrews Fellow in Urban Management at Arizona State University, where he earned his Master of Public Administration. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The College of New Jersey. In addition, he holds a Green Infrastructure Practitioner and Level I Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional certification. Conservation and environmental quality are close to his heart, and he actively supports conservation organizations throughout New Jersey. 

Rivera believes environmental quality is directly linked to economic and social outcomes, and that environmental restoration strategies need a higher profile among local government administrators and elected officials.