Nicole Taylor joined NASHP in 2021 as the project director for Population and Public Health. Prior to joining NASHP, she was responsible for advancing vaccination health literacy and health equity in underinsured and underserved communities as a health equity program manager with CDC Foundation. To the project director role, she also brings previous experience as a deputy director for state affairs with the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) where she led 13 states as a Medicaid subject matter expert specializing in state programs for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities, Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, behavioral health and mental health, and maternal health outcomes. Former roles also include management positions with North Carolina Department of Medical Assistance, Texas Health and Human Service Commission, and the Austin/Travis County Health Department. She has a master's in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), where she also held a program manager role with UNC Ethnicity, Culture, and Health Outcomes (ECHO)Program, and a BA in Political Science from Hampton University.