With his lilting accent and warm smile, Alex is a delight and it’s easy to see why his kids—and his kids’ friends—adore him. He’s the “cool” dad—their words, not his. For the past twenty years, Alex has been making architectural models after his friend got him a job interview at a firm. Despite having no formal training, Alex’s self taught model making skills landed him a job on the spot! Alex’s interest in building started when he was little. He would make models of planes or tanks or even deviate from the instructions to make his own creations.

Originally from Argentina, Alex learned English by watching cartoons and soap operas. Since stories played such a large role in his acclimation to the US, Alex still has a soft spot for such epic movies as Star Wars. Today he shares his collection with his kids. Since Argentina uses the metric system, it was a challenge for Alex to learn and use the imperial system. In doing so though, his mental agility is well-honed. Alex values education greatly. Working with museums allows him to invest in the futures of our nation’s children. His kids are his inspiration.