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 the 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]
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 Georgia in the mid-2000s to purse graduate studies. She earned a Master's of Social Work from the University of Georgia in 2007,specializing in community &non-profit planning. [4]
Prior to her role with County Government,Hendrickson served as the Associate Director for the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services for 8 years. 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] In that capacity,Hendrickson spearheaded the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute and led the annual Gwinnett Great Days of Service [6]
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.” [7] 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. [8] [9] In the general election,Hendrickson won against the Republican candidate with 58% of the vote. [10]
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." [11]
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. [12] 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." [13] 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. [14]
"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 federal stimulus funds to pay past-due utility payment assistance as well as past-due rent for approved applicants. [15]
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.” [16]
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. [17]
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 a chief equity officer position. [18]
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. [19] Hendrickson is also the first Gwinnett County Chair to issue a proclamation recognizing LGBTQ+ Pride Month. [20]
Hendrickson is a Native of Providence,Rhode Island where she was born and raised with her identical twin sister. She moved to Georgia in 2005 to pursue graduate studies at the University of Georgia. She met her husband,Keverne in the early 2000s. They shared a long relationship before getting married in 2011 in Atlanta,Georgia. Nicole and Keverne gave birth to their son,Kaden in 2013. Hendrickson and her family reside in unincorporated Lilburn. [21]
Hendrickson was named Georgia Trends 2023 100 Most Influential Georgians. 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. [22] Hendrickson was named one of Engineering Georgia’s 100 Most Influential Women. 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]
Gwinnett County is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia. It forms part of the Atlanta metropolitan area,being located about 9 miles (14 km) northeast of Atlanta city limits. In 2020,the population was 957,062,making it the second-most populous county in Georgia. Its county seat is Lawrenceville. The county is named for Button Gwinnett,one of the signatories of the Declaration of Independence.
Lilburn is a city in Gwinnett County,Georgia,United States. The population was 14,502 at the 2020 census. The estimated population was 12,810 in 2019. It is a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area.
Suwanee is a city in Gwinnett County and a part of the Atlanta metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2010 census,the population was 15,355;this had grown to an estimated 20,907 as of 2019. In 2020,its population was 20,786.
Gwinnett Place Mall is a largely vacant shopping mall located in the Pleasant Hill Road corridor of Duluth,Georgia,in the United States. Once the leading mall in the region,the mall centered on one of the fastest-growing counties in the nation,until the openings of Mall of Georgia in Buford and Sugarloaf Mills in Lawrenceville. It was used as the Starcourt Mall filming location for the third season of Netflix's Stranger Things.
Johns Creek is a city in Fulton County,Georgia,United States. According to the 2020 census,the population was 82,453. The city is a northeastern suburb of Atlanta.
Peachtree Corners is a city in Gwinnett County,Georgia,United States. It is part of the Atlanta metropolitan area,and is the largest city in Gwinnett County with a population of 42,243 as of the 2020 U.S. census.
Grayson High School is located in Loganville,Georgia and has an enrollment of over 3,100 students. The school pulls students from many areas of southeastern Gwinnett County,mainly Grayson,Loganville,and Lawrenceville.
Sugarloaf Parkway is an at-grade and limited-access highway in Gwinnett County in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Georgia. The highway provides a cross-county route from Duluth to Dacula. In 2010,a freeway extension opened past the former eastern terminus at Georgia State Route 20 (SR 20),and the highway was extended to US 29/SR 316 in Dacula.
William Robert Woodall III is an American attorney and politician who was the U.S. representative for Georgia's 7th congressional district from 2011 to 2021. The district included most of Gwinnett County,a suburban county northeast of Atlanta. A Republican,Woodall prior to being elected to Congress,worked for his predecessor,John Linder from 1994 to 2010,eventually becoming Linder's chief of staff. Woodall announced in February 2019 that he would not seek reelection to a sixth term in Congress.
The Gwinnett Environmental &Heritage Center is an environmental and cultural community center and museum in Buford,Georgia,United States. The center opened in 2006 and is designed to be an educational facility with a focus on environmentalism. The building itself follows the center's environmental theme and is a green building that utilizes less water and energy than other buildings of its size. It hosts exhibits and summer programs,many of which are focused on environmental topics,including water science and preservation primarily geared towards children. Located at the center are an historic home and barn from the 1800s that were each moved to sit adjacent to the facility in 2012 from elsewhere in Gwinnett County. It also has a ropes course that opened in 2011 and is connected to a series of several miles of walking trails that lead to other nearby destinations.
OFS is an American technology company known for designing and manufacturing fiber optic solutions. Since the mid-2010s,the company's headquarters in Norcross,Georgia was used as a film studio.
Buzz Brockway is an American politician. He previously served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 102nd District from 2013 until January 14,2019. Brockway represented the 101st district from 2011 to 2013. He sponsored 277 bills. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Joyce Chandler is an American former educator and politician from Georgia. Chandler is a former Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives representing District 105 from 2013 until January 14,2019. Chandler has sponsored 125 bills.
George Pierce Park is the largest city park in Suwanee,Georgia. It is a 304-acre (1.23 km2) park near the northern edge of the city. Included in the park are jogging and cycling paths,playgrounds,basketball courts,soccer fields,baseball fields,a pond and a senior learning center.
Brenda Lopez Romero is an American politician and is the first Latina to be elected to the Georgia General Assembly. She was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 99th District,serving from 2017 to 2021. In the House,Romero served on the Education,Retirement,and State Planning and Community Affairs committees. Lopez Romero sponsored 72 bills and is a member of the Democratic Party.
Rachelle Dinet Hutchinson is an American politician. A member of the Democratic Party,she serves in the Georgia House of Representatives from the 107th District,taking office in January 2019.
Elizabeth Bachman Moore is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 95th District from 2019 to 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party. At the time,Moore represented part of Gwinnett and Fulton counties,including the cities of Peachtree Corners,Berkeley Lake,Duluth,Norcross,and Johns Creek.
The 2022 Georgia Secretary of State election was held on November 8,2022,to elect the Secretary of State of Georgia. Incumbent Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger won re-election to a second term. Raffensperger emerged as a major national figure in early January,2021 when he faced significant pressure from then-President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Trump had been taped in a phone call asking Raffensperger to "find 11,780 votes," the exact number needed for Trump to carry the state. The party primary elections took place on May 24,with runoffs scheduled for June 21.
Georgia School of Orthodontics (GSO) is an orthodontic school located in Atlanta,Georgia,United States. It was established in 2016 and offers a 36 month Advanced Specialty Education Program in Orthodontics &Dentofacial Orthopedics. In response to GSO's growth,the school opened another location in Georgia in 2017.
The Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center is a courthouse and administrative center for Gwinnett County,Georgia located in the county seat of Lawrenceville,Georgia.