Tenure
During her tenure as Chairwoman of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners,Nicole Love Hendrickson has overseen several major initiatives focused on economic development,housing affordability,transit investment,and community revitalization.
During her swearing-in ceremony in January 2021,Hendrickson stated:“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.”
Responding 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. At its opening,she stated,“We saw a need,we had the resources,and we kicked into high gear to make sure that we could meet a critical need in our community.”In April 2021,she launched Project RESET 2.0,expanding Gwinnett’s emergency rental and utility assistance program with millions in federal funding to support renters impacted by the pandemic.
In 2021,Hendrickson helped establish the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center,an incubator providing training and space for local businesses and entrepreneurs. “Small businesses are essential to a thriving economy —bringing jobs,stimulating economic growth and driving innovation,”she said at the program’s launch.
Hendrickson was also the first Gwinnett County Chair to create a transparent application process for appointments to boards,authorities,and committees,and worked with the Board to establish the Police Citizens Advisory Board and the Sustainability Commission.
During the inaugural Gwinnett Chamber Diversity,Equity and Inclusion Summit,she announced the Gwinnett Place Mall Redevelopment Equity Plan and the County’s first Equity Action Plan,highlighting Gwinnett’s commitment to embedding equity in local government operations. She later appointed the County’s first Chief Equity Officer. Hendrickson has also issued proclamations celebrating Juneteenth and recognizing the 1911 lynching of Charles Hale —the first time the County formally acknowledged this historic injustice —as well as Gwinnett’s first proclamation for LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Continuing this focus on equitable growth and community investment,in 2023 Hendrickson’s administration launched Gwinnett County’s largest-ever Small Business Grant Program,providing $18 million in direct support to local entrepreneurs. Under her leadership,the County earned a record number of National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards,recognizing innovation in service delivery and community impact.
In 2024,the County established its first dedicated Affordable Housing Development Fund,expanding housing options for residents at all income levels. Hendrickson also guided the adoption of a $17 billion Transit Development Plan,the most comprehensive in the County’s history,aimed at improving regional connectivity for decades to come.
As part of revitalization efforts,Hendrickson secured a partnership with CBRE,a global real estate firm,to lead redevelopment planning for the Gwinnett Place Mall site,with the goal of transforming it into a vibrant mixed-use community hub.
