Alex Belanger Builds a Better World for the Students of the Fresno Unified School District

Alex Belanger is using decades of construction experience for the betterment of his community. The chief executive of operational services at the Fresno Unified School District serves the third largest school district in California, with more than 74,000 students—many of whom are members of underserved communities.

For the last nine years, Belanger helped tackle the school district’s mission to increase its graduation rates and provide more students with the kind of experiences that will lead to success in their further endeavors, whether that includes college or the workforce. That means helping expand the school district’s focus on equity and what kind of education opportunities will translate to long-term career success.

Aided by an amazing team led by Superintendent Bob Nelson, Belanger and other leaders in career technical education, alternative education, comprehensive instruction, and operations are committed to fostering a future that works for Fresno students.

Trades like welding, carpentry, mechanical HVAC, heavy truck operation, fabrication, nursing, entrepreneurship, pharmacy, design, and other skilled labor—skills that used to be a part of broader educational programs—have come back into high demand, and Belanger has helped the school district reintroduce students to careers they might not have considered before.

The school district is currently working on a new agricultural school and program and a new $75 million aviation facility, alongside other programs that will translate into immediate work or continuing education for students.

Belanger has also focused on the broader necessities of the school district, like $210 million in state and federal grants, $110 million in HVAC renovations, new gymnasiums, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) schools, alternative education campuses, and equity-based sport field improvements, including the modernization of aging infrastructure that r students need for a healthy learning environment.

At present, Belanger oversees facilities, maintenance, and operations for the district with contracted attorneys, general contractors, construction managers, and architects for contract work. The executive says there are never enough contractors and skilled laborers, and he is always on the lookout for potential partners. Regardless, Belanger believes every student deserves the same resources, and it’s that mission that drives him most.

The chief executive has 30 years of experience in facility management, construction, large commercial industrial work, and civil project management that started with projects from ballparks to treatment plants.

Belanger moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in 2008 to aid in the Department of Transportation’s recovery of Anchorage International Airport. He has built projects from the Arctic Circle to Taipei, Taiwan. He moved into education on behalf of the Anchorage School District, where he acted as assistant director of maintenance and operations prior to moving back to sunnier climates in 2015.

The builder has found a way to intertwine his skills with his desire to help those who need it most, and if it’s not happening in his day job, he’s doing it in his spare time. Belanger is a cofounder of BEI Mastiff Rescue, and he rescues and helps train the often-misunderstood mastiff breed.

Belanger and his wife also served as foster parents in Alaska, taking in children from ages zero to five, sometimes in sibling groups. The couple also helped establish a citizens’ oversight committee for the Office of Children’s Services in Alaska. Given the family’s faith-based focus on providing for kids who may not have the same opportunities they were afforded, it makes sense that the executive has found a career helping as many children as he can.

The executive currently serves as a member of the Capital Projects Oversight Board for the City of Fresno and bond oversight committee member of the Central Unified School District. He also sits on the board of Saint Rest EDC, focusing on community enrichment and development opportunities in Southwest Fresno, is an advocate for Fresno Metro Black Chambers of Commerce and the development of African American contractors, and supports the Council of Great City Schools for urban public school districts.

As the Fresno Unified School District continues its evolution to meet the evolving needs of its students—and more importantly, seeking equity so that regardless of their backgrounds, students have the tools they need to thrive in the world—Belanger is instrumental in making that world possible.