Alumni Interview: Nikki Williams

Chief of Staff/Vice President of Community Relations
for the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency

Please discuss your current position.

I am the Chief of Staff/Vice President of Community Relations for the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency (CAA). In this role, I oversee fundraising, marketing/communications, grant writing, community engagement and immigrant relation. In addition, I act as a confident advisor to the President/CEO and other Vice President roles. I identify opportunities to connect CAA in the community, to like organizations and businesses to ensure people understand what we do and who we serve. 

Through this position I have worked on:

- Hamilton County CARES grant

- New logo for CAA

- Annual Luncheon and our Annual Report

- Newsletters

- Website both English/Spanish

- Social media presence

- Internal communications tools (intranet site for employment communications)

My background is in public relations. I worked for the Red Cross and The American Cancer Society prior to my current role at CAA. I have a passion for nonprofit organizations and the work that they do to make a difference in the lives of others. 

What has been your biggest inspiration in your career?

My biggest inspiration during my career are the people. I absolutely love working in nonprofit because at the end of every day, no matter what, I know that the work that I have done has helped someone in some way. That inspires me to do the work I do. 

 How has you time in the MPA program contributed to your career?

I decided to go back to school more than 10 years after finishing my undergrad. I'm really glad that I did that because I was able to choose a program that aligned with the work that I do and it made my experience that much greater. Going through the MPA program allowed me to network with other people who are in my field. It enhanced my knowledge and understanding of public administration. I was able to take what I learned in the program and apply it to my current work. I believe all of this played a big role in managing grant writing, community engagement and fundraising especially.

Why did you choose the MPA program at NKU?

I chose the MPA program because I really liked the small classes that the program offered. I liked that the program had online options, but that it was primarily in class. This gave the opportunity to connect with other classmates. I also liked the program because it brought in professionals to talk about their work in relation to the class information and because the class sizes were smaller, we had the opportunity to talk and connect with the professionals to learn more about the work that they do. The The professors were especially caring and understanding. The program allowed me to work at my own pace especially being a commuter student who works full-time. 

What advice do you have for current or future MPA students?

For future and current students who have a passion for public service this is the program for you. My advice is take full advantage of all of the resources that are provided to you during this time. The relationships that you will build and the information that you will learn will go a long way. I can truly say the time will go by so fast, make the very best of it.