Welcome Troy Nichols, IA Associate Director of Membership

Troy has spent over twenty five years working with children, families, and communities in various capacities.  These include foster care, adoption, mentoring, community activism, and community engagement.  Troy was a professor at California State University Sacramento for seven years.  His latest career entailed facilitating collaborative work between various partners, community members, and decision makers in child welfare to create federally recognized and funded child abuse prevention plans. The major success in this work was strong, sustainable relationship building and facilitating collective change and impact. Troy’s skills in these areas directly translate to the mission and vision of Imagining America. Troy also utilizes storytelling and life experiences to invite those he works with to view concepts through different lenses.  It has been shared by many that his energy and excitement for the work he does is contagious.   

Troy is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is married to Keisha and has four children and two Standard Poodles. He is an exuberant football (EAGLES) and basketball (Sixers) fan and enjoys water sports/activities.

As Associate Director of Membership, Troy is the heart of the Imagining America (IA) member network, working closely with other IA staff to achieve our Mission, Vision, and Values. Troy will grow and maintain strong relationships with our 70+ member institutions, while dreaming up new ways to deepen engagement in the IA consortium of public scholars, artists, community organizers, and creative culture makers. He is a skilled facilitator and well-practiced in making meaningful connections, which will aid the work of better understanding IA’s members, uplifting compelling stories about their work, and creating opportunities for connection and peer learning. 

Take a moment to say hello to Troy at the 2023 IA National Gathering in Providence (October 20-22).