Nicole Collier, NACC Executive Director
Nicole Collier, MPSA
Executive Director, NACC
Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
Bush School of Government and Public Service
Texas A&M University
Hello, everyone!
I know there are several updates, new honor society members to welcome, and more to share, but I wanted to reminisce about my time at NACC.
This month marks five years since I stepped into the role of interim executive director for NACC on May 1st, 2019. That version of me, let’s call her “Past Nicole”, was a duck desperately treading water and trying to look calm on the surface. I was attempting to learn the ropes of NACC, trying to measure up to the example and expertise that Erin Vokes demonstrated (hi, Erin!), and wrapping up the planning and logistics for NACC’s 2019 conference in London, England!
Past Nicole made a lot of mistakes. The first was when Dr. Will Brown came into my office in November of 2018 and asked if I knew about NACC. In my mind, I thought they were asking about my hometown, Nacogdoches, commonly referred to as “Nac.” So, I very confidently answered, “I know everything about Nac!” Turns out I lied.
I quickly learned about this amazing group of people when I acted as a stand-in note-taker during the 2018 member meeting in Austin, Texas. I learned even more and haven’t stopped learning since. I became interim executive director in 2019, and the official executive director the next year. I continue to make mistakes, hopefully not as many as Past Nicole; and I continue to be amazed at the work our members undertake, the dedication of the students that join our honor society, and the passion we all share for nonprofit education.
By the time this newsletter comes out, I will also have celebrated a birthday where my age will end in “0” (I’ll let y’all guess which decade beyond that). It’s a natural point to reflect on how far I’ve come, what I want to improve on, and what I hope for the future. So it’s natural that I combine both of these milestones to think about how lucky I am.
So. I hope Future Nicole keeps making mistakes, but more importantly, that she learns from those inevitable mistakes and keeps working to improve. I hope she keeps learning from the amazing people around her. Finally, I hope she takes time to enjoy the things in her life and take care of herself.
Thank you all for being part of this journey me, whether you are reading this for the first time and have no clue who I am, or have been part of NACC since the beginning. I am thankful for all of you.
All the best,
Nicole