Nicole Love Hendrickson

Nicole Love Hendrickson
2021 State of the County Address
Chair of Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners
Incumbent
Assumed office December 28, 2020
Preceded by	Charlotte Nash
Personal details
Political party	Democratic
Residence(s)	Lilburn, Georgia
Education	University of Rhode Island (BA) University of Georgia (MSW)

Nicole Love Hendrickson is an American elected official serving as the chair of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners. She is the only full-time and at-large commissioner in Georgia's most diverse and second-most populous county.^[1][2] Hendrickson is the first African-American and person of color, and the third woman, to serve as the county's chair.^[3]

Early life and education[]

Hendrickson was born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She moved to Gwinnett County in the mid-2000s where she soon met her husband. She earned a Master's of Social Work from the University of Georgia in 2007, specializing in community planning.^[4]

Career[]

In a span of eight years, Hendrickson worked her way up from intern to the associate director of the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services. During this time, she spearheaded the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute, a leadership training program that now has hundreds of alumni.^[4] In 2015, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners appointed Hendrickson as the county's first Community Outreach Program Director. In this role, Hendrickson founded numerous community engagement and civic education programs including the Gwinnett 101 Citizens Academy and the Gwinnett Youth Commission.^[5]

Gwinnett County chairwoman[]

Campaign and election[]

In January 2020, Hendrickson announced her candidacy for the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners chairmanship saying, "I am uniquely qualified for this position because I have the proven experience in local government and understand the tough decisions that have to be made in order to balance the needs of the community with being a steward of our tax dollars....But most importantly, I have the heart to serve.”^[6] Running as a Democrat, Hendrickson competed against four other primary candidates for the party's nomination. After coming in first place in the June primary, Hendrickson won the Democratic nomination in an August primary runoff with nearly 80% of the vote.^[7][8] In the general election, Hendrickson won against the Republican candidate with 58% of the vote.^[9]

Tenure[]

During her swearing-in ceremony, Hendrickson said, "My promise to you is that we will work to make Gwinnett County a community where economic opportunity is abundant for everyone, a community where affordability isn’t a luxury and a community that leads in regional connectivity. I am grateful to be a partner in addressing the challenges that face us. By working with community, civic and corporate leaders, we will ensure that Gwinnett County is ready and prepared to lead into the future."^[10]

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hendrickson oversaw the conversion of a shuttered department store at Gwinnett Place Mall into the county's first mass vaccination site.^[11] At the opening of the site, Hendrickson stated, "We saw a need, we had the resources, and we kicked into high gear to make sure we that we could meet a critical need in our community. This site is the product of what it means when we all come together."^[12] In April 2021, Hendrickson announced Project Reset 2.0, an expansion of a previously established emergency rental assistance program. The program uses millions of federally funded dollars to help pay rent and utility bills for qualified renters impacted by the pandemic.^[13]

"This site is the product of what it means when we all come together.She also helped organize Project RESET 2.0, an expansion of a previously established county emergency rental assistance program. The program uses federally-provided stimulus funds to pay past-due utility payment assistance as well as past-due rent for approved applicants.^[14]

Hendrickson helped oversee the development of the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center, an incubator offering training and office space to local businesses and entrepreneurs. While announcing that the center would begin accepting applications, Hendrickson was quoted saying "Small businesses are essential to a thriving economy — bringing jobs, stimulating economic growth and driving innovation... With more than 26,000 businesses here, the center will help nurture those entrepreneurs by providing guidance that will help their business.”^[15]

Hendrickson was the first Gwinnett County chair to establish a transparent application process for county appointments to boards, authorities, and committees. Alongside the other commissioners, Hendrickson established the Gwinnett County Police Citizens Advisory Board and the Gwinnett County Sustainability Commission.^[16]

During her keynote speech at the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce's inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit, Hendrickson announced the Gwinnett Place Mall Redevelopment Equity Plan and the Gwinnett County Equity Action Plan. She also said, "Diversity defines Gwinnett. The County is committed to putting policies and practices in place that not only embrace our diversity, but also harness its energy, creativity and innovative spirit through equity and inclusion,” while encouraging local business leaders "to think about diversity in their own organizations, and... to use an equity lens as they move their businesses forward." She had previously announced that the county would create create a chief equity officer position.^[17]

Hendrickson has issued proclamations celebrating Juneteenth and, for the first time in Gwinnett's history, acknowledging the 1911 lynching of Charles Hale in Lawrenceville, Georgia.^[18] Hendrickson is also the first Gwinnett County Chair to issue a proclamation recognizing LGBTQ+ Pride Month.^[19]

Personal life[]

Hendrickson resides in Lilburn, Georgia with her husband and their son.^[20]

Awards and affiliations[]

Hendrickson was the recipient of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce's Public Service Award and the 100 Black Men of Metro Atlanta's Trailblazer Award.^[20] She is listed as one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Power 100: Most Influential Atlantans and had previously been included on Georgia Trend's top 40 under 40.^[5]

Hendrickson sits on boards of numerous organizations including the Atlanta Regional Commission, Gwinnett Board of Health, Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the United Way Gwinnett Community Board. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Gwinnett County.^[5]

References[]