Leslie Nichols

Leslie Nichols has a diverse work experience spanning various industries and roles. Their most recent position, since September 2021, is as a Project Manager and Lead Defense Travel Analyst at NextStep Technology, Inc. In this role, they manage the travel program for a 4-star Command, serving as the primary point of contact for all travel functions.

Prior to this, Leslie worked at the United States Department of Defense from August 2018 to September 2021 as a Staff Officer and Official Defense Travel Administrator. Leslie executed and maintained a $1.3M travel budget, managed travel accounts, and created an internal tracking system that reduced the error rate in travel by 26% within 11 months.

Leslie also has experience in the real estate industry, having worked at GL Homes as a Design Center Assistant/Admin in 2018. Leslie assisted homeowners with the selection of finishes for their new homes and performed various administrative tasks related to construction.

In the retail sector, Leslie worked at Neiman Marcus from April 2016 to January 2018 as a Visual Merchandiser and Special Event Support. Prior to that, they worked at Nordstrom from June 2010 to April 2016, where they were a Lead Visual Merchandiser and Event Coordinator.

Leslie has also held positions in the event management field, including Lead Production Coordinator at DC Fashion Week from September 2010 to August 2015, and Special Event Coordinator at Defined by Design, Events from August 2014 to February 2015.

Early in their career, Leslie gained experience as a Sales Management Intern at Nordstrom from June 2009 to January 2010, receiving training in various corporate positions and implementing their learnings in their current role.

Their work experience started at DISA, where they worked as an Executive Administrative Assistant from June 2005 to January 2008.

Leslie Nichols attended Bishop McNamara High School from 2002 to 2006. After high school, they went on to Frostburg State University for two years, from 2006 to 2008, where they studied Marketing. Finally, they attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2010, where they earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Merchandising.