President
The Alexander Co. | Madison
Joe Alexander leads The Alexander Co., a Madison-based real estate company specializing in urban in-fill development, historic preservation, affordable housing and property management. Some of Alexander’s prominent projects have included Capitol West, a $110 mixed-use urban in-fill development just off the Capitol Square in Madison; the $120 million, 62-acre Novation Campus, also in Madison; and the $45 million restoration of Milwaukee Soldiers Home and Milwaukee Fortress in the Brewers Hill neighborhood. Alexander has overseen developments spanning from Kansas City to Washington, D.C., to Fort Worth. He previously served as special assistant to the Secretary of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Madison; J.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School
The future of your industry: “The nation is undoubtedly facing a housing crisis, and Madison is no exception. I envision the future of the real estate industry pivoting significantly towards creating more affordable housing to address this widespread shortage. Continued collaboration between public municipalities and private developers will be crucial in achieving this goal.”
First and most recent concert: “My first concert was the Rolling Stones, and my most recent was Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats.”
Traits you seek for new hires: “Commitment, expertise and cultural fit.”
Definition of success: “For me, success is defined by having happy team members, doing work we can be proud of and turning a profit simultaneously.”
2022 Wisconsin 275 Profile
Real Estate and Development | Real Estate
President
The Alexander Co. | Madison
Joseph Alexander became president of The Alexander Co. in 2009, assuming leadership of the Madison-based real estate development company his father, Randy Alexander, founded. The company specializes in real estate projects involving historic preservation, urban revitalization and adaptive reuse. Some of the company’s high-profile recent projects in the Milwaukee area include the Milwaukee Soldiers Home restoration and Milwaukee Fortress in the Brewers Hill neighborhood. In Madison, the firm was behind the Novation Campus, a $120 million, mixed-use development; the $35 million redevelopment of the Rail Corridor in downtown Madison; and the $110 million Capitol West condo project in downtown Madison. Joseph has personally overseen developments spanning from Kansas City to Washington, D.C., to Fort Worth.
Previously, Alexander worked as a special assistant in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the leadership of then secretary Tommy Thompson. In that role, his duties included consultation and implementation in the areas of general management, budgeting and facilities development oversight.
He’s served on the boards of the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, Downtown Madison Inc., Salvation Army of Dane County, Wisconsin
Education: Bachelor’s, University of Wisconsin-Madison; J.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School