Biography

A first generation American, Alex Plechash grew up in suburban Chicago, graduating from Oak Park & River Forest High School in 1971, where he was a multi-sport student-athlete. He received early admission into the U.S. Naval Academy where he earned a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering and graduated with distinction near the top of his class, being the number one ranked Marine Officer and Aerospace Engineer. In his senior year, he was nominated for a Rhodes scholarship and was offered a Guggenheim Fellowship for immediate PhD study at Princeton, Cal Tech and MIT which he turned down in lieu of accepting a Burke Scholarship, later receiving an MBA from the University of Chicago.

After graduating from Annapolis, Alex reported for duty to the Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico where he graduated at the top of his class of 270 Marine Lieutenants winning an award for the best overall score in military skills (physical fitness, rifle & pistol marksmanship, timed obstacle course, and public speaking). Although deeply drawn toward becoming a Marine infantry officer, he ultimately chose to go to flight school and earned his Naval Aviator wings, serving out his time as a fighter pilot; principally flying the F-4 Phantom II. An interesting anecdote is that as a young Captain, he appeared in the movie “The Great Santini” starring Robert Duvall when his squadron was used on-location at MCAS Beaufort, SC during the filming of the movie.

After leaving active duty, Alex led a successful business career as a corporate executive working for some notable firms including Exxon and Oracle before he entered the world of finance and investment banking. In addition to his business career, Alex remains quite active in military/veteran, civic, church, and non-profit organizations.

Alex has been a Naval Academy Blue & Gold Admissions Officer for the past two decades as well as having served three terms as an elected National Trustee of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association (USNAAA) and still serves on their Governance Committee. In addition, he presided over the Upper Midwest Chapter of the USNAAA for nearly ten years during which the Chapter rose from being an obscure chapter to being the 7th largest chapter worldwide out of more than 100 and won the inaugural Chapter of the Year award. When he was President of the Twin Cities Chapter of the Navy League, he was tapped by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty to serve as the Chairman of the USS Minnesota pre-Commissioning Task Force, a nuclear attack submarine commissioned in 2013 at which his classmate, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Jon Greenert presided.

His civic and non-profit Involvement has also been extensive. He was appointed to serve on the board of the Perpich Center for Arts Education in Minnesota where he served for two terms totaling eight years and was their finance chair. He also served for twelve years as the President & Chairman of Tee it Up for the Troops, Inc.; a 501(c)3 charitable organization that has raised millions of dollars for the troops and their families. At his church, Christ Presbyterian Church of Edina, he served as a deacon for a term-limited three years, running their largest program for homeless families. In addition, Alex has been a volunteer firefighter in Wayzata for more than 16 years.

Politically, Alex has been involved at every level in Minnesota politics without interruption since first becoming active in 2004. He is, or has served as, Precinct Chairman, Caucus Convener, Senate District Executive/Treasurer, Congressional District Vice-Chair, State Delegate, State Central Committee Delegate and was elected to represent Minnesota at the RNC National Conventions in 2008 and 2016. He has hosted or co-hosted in-home fundraisers for candidates running for Governor, U.S. Senate, MN Secretary of State, and Congress as well as local candidates. In 2012 he founded the Minnesota Organization of Republican Veterans (aka MORVets), the first-ever veterans affiliate of the Republican Party of MN. Last, but not least, he is currently serving his second term on the Wayzata City Council.

Condensed Biography

Early Life and Education:

First-generation American, grew up in suburban Chicago, graduated from Oak Park & River Forest High School in 1971.
Graduated with Distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering being the top-ranked Marine Officer and Aerospace Engineer in his class.
Nominated for a Rhodes scholarship, declined offers from Princeton, Cal Tech, and MIT for a Guggenheim Fellowship to accept a Burke Scholarship.
Earned an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Military Career:

Graduated at the top of his class from the Marine Corps Basic School at Quantico.
Chose to attend flight school over becoming an infantry officer
Designated Jet Student Naval Aviator of the Year, transitioning to the F-4 Phantom II
Appeared in the movie “The Great Santini” during filming at MCAS Beaufort, SC.
Retired as a Lt. Colonel after Operation Desert Storm

Professional Career:

Held executive roles at Exxon and Oracle, transitioned to finance and investment banking.

Naval and Civic Engagement:

Board member and finance chair at Perpich Center for Arts Education in Minnesota.
Served twelve years as President & Chairman of Tee it Up for the Troops, Inc.
Upper Midwest Chapter President of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association for 10 years
Deacon at Christ Presbyterian Church of Edina, managed a major program for homeless families.
Volunteer firefighter for 16 years

Political Involvement:

Active in Minnesota politics since 2004, serving various roles from Precinct Chairman to Congressional District Vice-Chair.
Represented Minnesota at the RNC National Conventions in 2008 and 2016.
Founded MORVets the Minnesota Organization of Republican Veterans.
Currently in his second term on the Wayzata City Council, hosted numerous political fundraisers.
Currently RNC National Committeeman for Minnesota