Nichole for Nederland

With Eldora, I served as the go-to person for negotiations, strategy, and communications during one of the most consequential efforts our town has taken on. I also coordinated the community FAQs and helped staff with execution because complex projects don't succeed on big ideas alone. They succeed when there is clear messaging, organized next steps, and consistent follow-through.

When the Caribou Shopping Center fire happened, I acted quickly to help activate the town's emergency response. I made the call that woke Town Manager Cain, signed the emergency declaration, and coordinated the initial day-of call with emergency partners so resources could be set up immediately. In a crisis, minutes matter, and leadership means stepping in decisively to protect people and keep our community informed and supported.

On the Teens, Inc. childcare facility, I stayed consistent: I supported opening a path for the facility to be built, as long as the correct protocols were followed. I'm always open to good, data-driven arguments for and against and I take process seriously. At the same time, leadership also means weighing the broader community need. In this case, that need was clear. My job was to help make it possible and to serve the many, while treating concerns respectfully.

In 2023, I helped keep the Housing Study moving by coordinating the many moving parts and follow-ups that can stall important work. I also got hands-on to increase participation by building a social media campaign and creating outreach videos that highlighted something easy to forget: the housing crisis is not abstract. It is affecting the everyday faces we work with and rely on in Nederland. Better data leads to better decisions, and I wanted to make sure Nederland's real needs were reflected in the results.

After the Board met in 2023 to set high-level direction for the Town, I was not satisfied with the output as it stood, so I took those priorities and turned them into an accountable Strategic Plan, the first of its kind for Nederland. It spelled out exactly what we aimed to accomplish, with clear goals, target dates, and ownership. I worked to align it with town departments and partner boards so we could move from ideas to execution with shared accountability. You can read that Strategic Plan here: nederlandco.gov/media/1181 (opens in new tab). While it included a defined end date, it proved useful far beyond that timeline and became a blueprint for our continued work. This is the same rigor I'm bringing to our next set of priorities after April, so the Board is set up to deliver real progress over the next two years.

I'm proud to be a steady, solutions-oriented partner to town staff, bringing reason, emotional stability, and creativity when the workload is heavy or the moment is tense. When needed, I jump in to create work products staff simply don't have time for, or where my experience can help the town move faster and cleaner, like the town manager evaluation process, public-facing campaigns, and the town manager recruiting process. Good government is a team sport, and I take seriously the responsibility to support the people doing the day-to-day work for Nederland.