She was presented with the Distinguished Service Award in 2015 and the Director's Award in 2016 from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
SPOKANE VALLEY, WA, September 06, 2019 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Cathrene Nichols has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Proudly serving those who have served their country in numerous state, local and national capacities, Ms. Nichols excels a director on the board of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV) and as an administrator for the state and county co-located Regional Veterans Service Center in Spokane County, Washington through the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA). In her NCHV role, she supports national advocacy for ending veteran homelessness and is a regular presenter at the NCHV national conference educating veteran service providers across the nation on strategic regional partnerships, innovation and best practices in veteran services. She facilitated a national partnership between the NCHV and the National Association of State Department of Veterans Affairs Directors. As a Washington Management Service Professional with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, she managed the Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program, the Veterans Innovations Program, the Transitioning Warrior Program, the Veterans Homeless Prevention Program and the Incarcerated Veterans Reintegration Program. Ms. Nichols still serves as the strategic operations manager for the Eastern Washington Division of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.
Backed by accrued experience in social service, public administration, human resource management, organizational leadership and interpersonal communication, Ms. Nichols maintains her responsibility for strategic planning and development of grant proposals for veterans' employment and training services, financial assistance and support services. In this role, she also reviews legislation, regulation and contracts that would impact the department and represents them at local, state and national meetings. Previously, Ms. Nichols found success as the chairman of the Veterans Employee Resource Group from 2014 until 2015 and as a disabled veterans outreach specialist for the Washington State Employment Security Department between 2009 and 2012.
A veteran herself, Ms. Nichols began her career as a regional manager for Pacific Intercultural Exchange after completing her service in the U.S. Army as an ammunitions and personnel actions center specialist in the 1990s. Upon her graduation from college, she was interested in pursuing a career in education. However, after working for the state in an employee security position that was veteran-centric, Ms. Nichols discovered that she was inspired and driven to continue to serve those that served and to increase outreach, access and awareness to local, state, and national veteran services programs.
A former student of Heidelberg College, Central Texas College and Gonzaga University, Ms. Nichols earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, Spanish from Eastern Washington University in 2008. Over the years, she also earned certifications in Microsoft Office, veteran case management, strategic partnership, board development, motivational interviewing, emotional intelligence, behavioral interviewing, and labor market and employment training. She retains professional alignment and networks with others through her affiliations with the Disabled American Veterans, the Washington State Military Transition Council, and the Veterans Employee Resource Group. During her spare time, she actively serves on the Veterans First Community Veterans Engagement Board, the Eastern Washington Veterans Task Force, and as the director of the Spokane County Veterans Advisory Board. In previous years, Ms. Nichols has dedicated her time and resources to the Spokane County Continuum of Care Board, and the Interagency Council on Homelessness.
Ms. Nichols has been honored for her efforts in veterans' services with the DVOP of the Year Award through the American Legion in 2010. She was further presented with the Distinguished Service Award in 2015 and the Director's Award in 2016 from the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs. Looking toward the future, Ms. Nichols aims to work to expand her national influence for increased service honoring initiatives for veterans by serving at the executive leadership level in the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs, the Spokane County Government and the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
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Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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