Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Love Hendrickson.
Nicole, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a native of Providence, Rhode Island, where I was born in raised. I’m a graduate of the University of Rhode Island, where I received my undergraduate degree in Psychology. Upon graduating, I landed my first real job as a guidance counselor in Baltimore, Maryland. I quickly learned that no amount of education and training could prepare me for what I embarked on in my career in a school system that was plagued with underfunding, a lack of resources to adequately support children living in poverty, and a culture of apathy on the part of teachers, parents and the surrounding community. It was like everyone lacked hope – including the children. My counseling job quickly turned into a social worker role, as I spent more time trying to assist families with their day to day struggles that went beyond the school boundaries, i.e., access to jobs, assistance with food, mentors for students who experienced severe emotional trauma, and community support and buy-in. And this was an Elementary School!
The three years that I spent there provided me with so much drive to want to change the systems that created these conditions in the first place. I decided to go back to get my graduate degree in Social Work and focused my specialty on community development and non-profit management. Through my studies, I learned about social policy, community mobilization, advocacy and so many tools that equipped me to serve in this space.
This led me to my internship experience in my 2nd year of my graduate studies, which was at the Gwinnett Coalition for Health & Human Services. There, I got to apply my education in a real world setting. I conducted research on the homeless issue in Gwinnett County, I led community-wide initiatives that promoted volunteerism, and I provided direct support to a number of community initiatives that positively impacted the Gwinnett Community.
I instantly fell in love with Gwinnett County, the collaborative spirit, and opportunities to directly impact change. I was doing a job that I absolutely loved. I was quickly hired after the completion of my internship. I worked up the ranks to serve as the Associate Director. I had the privilege of leading and scaling programs such as the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute. I have empowered hundreds of citizens to affect behavior change to impact communities in areas of quality of life, non-profit, special causes, politics and government, law enforcement, economics and environmental concerns to name a few. To date, graduates serve in capacities of community improvement districts, business owners, market executives, clergy, and community leaders, some launching sustainable community initiatives and impacting policy decisions on their own. I have bridged many collaborative efforts that have had sustaining impact focusing on multicultural diversity, transportation, language access, youth development, and wide-spread volunteerism and citizen engagement. The success of these initiatives has labeled me as a “bridge builder” which is a title I don’t take lightly.
It led me to my current role with the Gwinnett County Government. After serving for seven years at the Gwinnett Coalition for Health & Human Services, the Chair of the county had created an initiative at the government level to increase access and opportunities for underrepresented communities to have greater involvement in local government affairs. I was chosen to build, grow and lead this effort. As the founding director, in 2015, I created the first ever comprehensive outreach program for Gwinnett County government. No such program existed in the county or in the state.
In my short tenure, I commissioned the county’s first ever comprehensive program that provides a platform for citizens all across Gwinnett to connect and engage with their government. I play a significant role in bridging our very diverse constituents to opportunities where they can engage and interact with their leaders and gaining access to decision-making arenas. I founded the Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy, the Gwinnett Youth Commission and Dinner & Dialogue.
Overall, this community initiative has inspired us to engage communities, citizens and partnerships in restoration and building sustainable solutions, enhancing the quality of life for all who live work and play in Gwinnett.
Community service is my passion. I dedicate my life and career to being a public servant. Servant Leaders engender trust, which catalyzes higher levels of engagement and greater acceptance of change and innovation. I was called to this work to put the needs of my community ahead of my own self-interest. I feel it is my obligation to continue to cultivate, empower and inspire civic change. Quoting the President and CEO of The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute,” to serve is to live.” This is my life.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
As with any new program, you will face challenges because of the unknown. Leaders had to first put their faith in me to take on such a hefty task, but no one could define what it would look like to begin with. Knowing there were successful models out there, I wanted to benchmark this effort after something that I knew worked. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything like it that existed in local government, so I had to start from scratch.
I researched effective community engagement models all across the state and nation. I’ve talked to members of the community about their vision for engagement and talked to department leaders, internally about what they would envision such a program to look like.
After many trials and tribulations, we established a model that worked for us. Of course, it’s still growing and shaping, having only existed for five years. But in that five years, we were able to get some statewide and national recognition through the National Association of Counties as Best in Class for Public Education & Outreach.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
The Gwinnett Community Outreach Program is a division of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners. It’s the county’s first outreach program, which includes outreach and communications with diverse constituencies, cultural events, and citizens’ programs. The community outreach program is designed to engage and empower residents to be more informed and involved in Gwinnett County Government. This is achieved through:
• Educational programming and workshops
• Community events and forums
• Stakeholder meetings
• Collaborative partnerships
I’m proud to have been the first director appointed to this role to build and develop this program. Prior to my coming on board, there had not be a coordinated program that was intentional about building bridges with its constituents. I’m proud to have built a nationally-recognized award-winning program.
Gwinnett County is a model government in the way we interact and engage with our citizens. We have moved from a service-delivery model to a community-building model. We realize that when our citizens thrive, we thrive. Promoting a sense of place and belonging is critical in an ever-changing world and society.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was always outgoing, compassionate and a people person. It was the very reason I wanted to focus my studies and career in the social sciences. Among friends, I was always stood out as the go -to-person when someone needed a listening ear, assistance with problem-solving, or being the voice of reason. In many circles, I’ve always advocated for the voiceless and came to the defense and aid of people who would not fight for themselves. In college, I was the president of the “Uhuru Sasa” which was the on-campus student organization that provided refuge to African American’s on a predominantly white campus. Uhuru Sasa means “Freedom Now” in Swahili. It promoted our collective voice that African American students had to control the narrative of our pride, our power as a student body and leveraging our voice to access basic human rights. We were essentially an advocacy organization on campus.
I’ve dedicated my entire career to empowering communities, giving a voice to the voiceless and serving as a beacon of hope to underprivileged communities. I’ve never wavered in my commitment and passion to those causes.
Contact Info:
- Address: Gwinnett Community Outreach
Board of Commissioners Office
75 Langley Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30046 - Website: www.gwinnettcommunityoutreach.com
- Phone: 770-822-7000
- Email: nicole.hendrickson@gwinnettcounty.com
- Instagram: @GwinnettGov
- Facebook: GwinnettGov
Image Credit:
Census Photo, Youth Photo (in front of bus) and Photo of group looking over map are Gwinnett County Government photos.
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