As the Government Affairs Director for America Forward, Nicole represents the policy and funding priorities of the 60+ innovative and high performing organizations that are a part of the America Forward Coalition to members of Congress, the Federal Administration and other like-minded coalitions. Nicole leads on strategy and advocacy efforts related to pay for success/impact investing, workforce development, social innovation, and criminal justice for the Coalition. Nicole spent much of her career at Youth Villages, an America Forward Coalition member. After receiving her BA in Political Science and Master's in Public Administration, she had the opportunity for over five years to develop and implement a government relations and public policy strategy for that organization. In that capacity, she advocated for policy and funding changes in the child welfare, juvenile justice, children's mental health, and innovative financing policy areas. Nicole is currently a PhD candidate in Public Policy working on a dissertation focused on the U.S. child welfare system and interventions utilized to serve abused and neglected children.