Alex McConahay grew up as America was preparing to send a man to the moon. However, he did not take up astronomy as a hobby in earnest until 1995. He joined the Riverside Astronomical Society and over the course of many years served in various capacities, including president. He is also very active in outreach with the club. He helped establish the Riverside Astro Imaging Group, the Riverside AstroImaging Workshop, and the Nightfall Imaging Workshop and is an active member of the Astro Imaging Channel on YouTube. He has built several telescopes and earned an RTMC Merit Award. For many years, he was a member of the Board of Trustees and is still an active volunteer of RTMC, a large conference of astronomers held annually in Big Bear, California. He has presented at various clubs, workshops, star parties, and in the national parks. He is recognized by the Astronomical League as a "Master Observer."
Alex holds a Masters in Education, with majors or minors in Business, History, English, and Administration. He was a high school English teacher for six years or so around 1980, moved into school administration in 1985, became principal of a high school for nine years, and then served as district-wide director of student services until his retirement in 2000. He likes to travel and has been to all 50 states and more than 100 countries. He has two grown sons and lives with his wife Judy in Moreno Valley, California. A