From the desert skies of Las Vegas to the tree-lined campus of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, Alex Proksch’s career has been defined by curiosity, adaptability, and a steady ascent built on skill and integrity. Like the drones he builds and flies in his spare time, precisely soldered, balanced, and tuned for peak performance, Alex’s path has been one of intentionally assembling pieces until the bigger picture takes flight.

Early Foundations: Engineering, Family, and an Unexpected Door into the Trades

Before SSC, Alex was deep into computer engineering studies when life introduced new priorities, he fell in love, got married, and needed a stable job. Seeking something hands-on and different from the computer lab, he turned to a cousin working in plumbing who insisted Alex would excel.

The work happily turned out to be more fresh water than expected, and Alex quickly built proficiency. During this time, he and his wife welcomed their first child and made the decision to leave Las Vegas for the East Coast.

When the family landed in Charlotte, Alex learned from his father that Queens University was hiring. He applied, and his SSC chapter began.

Starting at SSC: From Grounds Crew to Plumber

Alex’s first role at SSC was grounds crew at Queens University. Six months later, when the campus plumber left, the maintenance manager gave Alex an informal test: “Show me what you can do with this faucet.” He quickly demonstrated his knowledge and the manager didn’t waste time in offering him the plumber role.

He joined a maintenance team with a strong skill set and high camaraderie. Together, they began cross-training across trades, becoming a unit that could handle almost anything. The team grew stronger, faster, and more efficient, much like the iterative tuning Alex later became known for in his drone builds.

Stepping Up: COVID, Leadership, and JCSU

When COVID slowed campus operations, Alex served as interim maintenance manager, keeping essential systems running during a period of uncertainty.

When Johnson C. Smith University opened a maintenance manager position, Alex applied, and was accepted. He was excited to bring his technical range, team-focused leadership, and reliability to a campus in need of revitalization.

When Alex arrived at JCSU in February 2020, the campus needed significant attention. Within hours of his first day, he met with the CFO, who mentioned his toilet had been broken for six months.

Alex and his team rebuilt it in 20 minutes.

That simple act established trust, and the CFO immediately began releasing funds for long-overdue projects.

Since then, Alex has led efforts to:

• Restore heating and cooling to buildings that had gone without for five years
• Restart preventive maintenance programs that had been dormant
• Bring campus systems back into regulatory compliance, reducing fines
• Demonstrate strong fiscal stewardship, positioning SSC as a trusted partner

Today, Alex manages a team of seven, navigating different personalities using a simple philosophy: lead by doing. He works beside his team, not behind them, earning trust through action.

“Alex is the kind of leader every campus hopes for, steady, skilled, and unafraid to get his hands dirty. He earns trust not by title, but by action, and JCSU is stronger because of it.” -Rod Fox, Facilities Director

Challenges, Philosophy & Advice

Alex’s greatest challenge is solving problems he’s never encountered, a constant in facilities management. His solution:

“Rely on your support staff, vendors, and counterparts at other schools. People want to help, but you must be willing to step up too.”

His advice for newcomers:

“Pick a trade you’re passionate about and get lost in learning. Those skills will carry over into everything.” Of all trades, Alex sees HVAC as part science, part magic, and part luck.

A Whole-Body Approach to Facilities (I will try to have a graphic that goes with this)

Alex visualizes maintenance systems like the human body:

• HVAC – the lungs
• Plumbing – the bloodstream
• Electrical – the nervous system
• Carpentry – the skeleton
• Drywall – the skin

Each system supports the others, and ignoring one affects the whole.

Hobbies & Passions: From Motorcycles to Drone Racing

Outside of work, Alex finds calm on the back roads of North Carolina on his Kawasaki ZX-6R, calling motorcycle riding meditative.

His more technical hobby? Building and racing drones.

He assembles them from scratch, circuit boards, solder joints, lightweight frames, and flies using VR goggles, piloting through the air like a fighter jet. This hobby blends his engineering background with hands-on craftsmanship, mirroring the precision he brings to his campus work.

He is also exploring a future bridge between maintenance and IT, currently pursuing coursework toward a

Certified Ethical Hacker certification.

Mentorship That Shaped Him

Alex’s mentor, Scott McGhee, was the first to tell him he had a future in plumbing. Scott taught him not just technique, but mindset:

• “Go back to basics.”
• “Breathe.”
• “Prepare for the storm—save for rainy days.”

Today, their relationship has come full circle: Scott occasionally calls Alex for advice!

Looking Ahead: A Vision for Tomorrow’s Campus

If resources were unlimited, Alex would:

1. Modernize HVAC campus-wide, including automation and smart building systems
2. Upgrade student housing, ensuring reliable quality of life
3. Expand student-focused buildings, prioritizing experience and comfort

To Alex, the student experience comes first:
“Students are the heart of the university, everything we do should support them.”
His long-term dream is to merge IT with facilities management, enhancing automation and modernizing campus systems to create a seamless, data-driven environment.

What Grounds Him

Alex finds joy in his own family. He has a 7-year-old son who loves school and a 3-year-old daughter with boundless energy. Coming home to a running hug is his favorite moment of the day.
He’s also fascinated by science and technology, particularly the James Webb Space Telescope, whose high-definition images of distant planets remind him that exploration, big or small, is always worth the effort.

A Profile in Purpose

From plumbing to management, from drones to data networks, Alex Proksch represents what happens when a person follows curiosity, learns relentlessly, and builds trust one solved problem at a time.
His career, much like his drones, has been carefully assembled, expertly piloted, and always aimed toward what’s next.