Nichol Higdon joined McKnight in early 2020 as vice president of finance and operations. Nichol oversees McKnight’s finance, human resources, information and technology, compliance, and facilities and guest services departments.
Throughout her career, Nichol has shown great skill and success in creating systems that lead to deeper organizational effectiveness and impact. For 12 years, she held senior leadership roles serving YMCAs, specializing in human resources, operations, fundraising, and board and community engagement. Prior to joining McKnight, she was vice president of operations and executive director for the YMCA of the Greater Twin Cities. Before that, she was senior vice president of operations and chief operating officer for the YMCA of Greater Hartford, and executive vice president of operations and chief human resources officer for the YMCA of Greater Cleveland.
Nichol holds a JD from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University, and a BA in business administration with a human resources emphasis from David N. Myers University. She served in the United States Navy as an E-4 Petty Officer Third Class. She has also been an active leader in civic life, volunteering with the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Alumni Association’s Minority Outreach Committee; the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging board of directors; and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.