Nikki is a member of Reed Smith’s Virginia Government Relations team. Nikki has a lobbying and procurement practice before Virginia state agencies and a legislative and lobbying practice before the Virginia General Assembly, the governor’s office, and the office of the Virginia state attorney general. She regularly engages with governments and political bodies on behalf of clients, and crafts innovative solutions to help clients solve issues within state and local government. Nikki also works with clients on legislative tracking, legislative and regulatory monitoring, analysis and reporting, and compliance with state lobbying registration and disclosure requirements.
Before joining Reed Smith, Nikki held various leadership roles within the Virginia state government. In her most recent role, she served as the Chief Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth under Governor Youngkin, where she led the recruitment, selection, and ethics compliance of appointed leadership within the governor’s office and all of the state’s executive agencies. In preparation for inauguration and the new administration, Nikki was tapped to serve as deputy director of the transition team, where she provided strategic leadership for policy, personnel, and operations.
Before joining the governor’s office, she spent eight years working for members of the Virginia General Assembly. Nikki served as the chief legislative aide to two members of the Virginia Senate, where she oversaw operations of their legislative and political offices. She began her work in Virginia politics in high school as a volunteer for her local member of the House of Delegates, and since that time, she has worked on several campaigns in various roles, focusing on policy research, fundraising, event logistics, and financial reporting for members of Congress, statewide candidates, and members of and candidates for the Virginia General Assembly.
In 2020, at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nikki co-founded a local chapter of Frontline Foods – a division of the World Central Kitchen – and helped raise funds to support local restaurants and restaurant workers while providing meals to frontline emergency health care services providers, including hospital workers, local police, and EMTs.
Nikki received her master’s degree in political science from American University and her B.A. in political science and philosophy from James Madison University.
A Virginia native, Nikki now lives in the City of Richmond. She serves her alma matter and the commonwealth as a member of the Board of Visitors of James Madison University. In her free time, Nikki enjoys walks with her dog, Edwin; she is an avid reader and a frequent yogi at her local hot yoga studio.
