Portland State University President Rahmat Shoureshi named Michael Alexander, the former president and CEO of the Urban League of Portland, as interim vice president for Global Diversity and Inclusion in May of 2018. Mr. Alexander headed the Urban League from 2012 to his retirement in 2015, when he was widely credited for restoring fiscal discipline to the organization and reconnecting it with community partners. 

Prior to that, he served in executive roles at Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, Magellan Behavioral Health, Human Affairs International and Aetna, including four years as vice president and executive director of the Aetna Foundation. He currently sits on the boards of The Black United Fund, the Northwest Health Foundation, the Port of Portland Commission, the Black Male Achievement Steering Committee and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon and Wells Fargo Community Boards. He has served on the boards of LifeWorks Northwest, The American Leadership Forum of Oregon (Chair), the Portland Parks & Recreation Advisory Board (Vice Chair), the United Way of the Columbia Willamette Campaign Cabinet (Vice Chair) and was founding Chair of the Cambia (Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield) Foundation. The office of Global Diversity and Inclusion leads a wide array of initiatives that include education, equity and compliance, Diversity, Education and Learning as well as advocacy for broader diversity in the student body, faculty and staff. The office also develops partnerships throughout the region to promote PSU's diversity mission. 

Mr. Alexander received his bachelor's degree from Lewis University in Illinois and graduate degree from Bryn Mawr College Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research in Pennsylvania. He is the proud father of Shannon, Derek and Christopher and the grandfather of Xavier, Laila, Landon, Lani and Caleb. He and his wife Nancy live in Sellwood.