Michelle A. Nicholas, a Guyanese-born executive and transformational leadership advisor, has been named a 2025 Woman of Distinction by the United Way of Westchester and Putnam (UWWP). The award will be presented on 9 December 2025 at UWWP’s annual Take a Walk in Her Shoes Breakfast in Tarrytown, New York. Nicholas will be recognised alongside Stacey Tompkins, President of Tompkins Excavating, for her outstanding contributions to strengthening communities and guiding organisations through transformation.
A recognised leader across the United States and the global Guyanese diaspora, Nicholas is the Founder and CEO of The NICO Consulting, a firm specialising in enterprise strategy, leadership development, and organisational resilience. She has advised leaders through complex challenges, supported multi-million-dollar decisions, and strengthened governance for high-impact organisations.
Her career includes senior leadership roles such as Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity & Community Development Officer at PCSB Bank, Executive Director of Girls Inc. of Westchester County, and Vice-President of Development & External Affairs at Family Services of Westchester. Her leadership has been recognised by Westfair Business Journal, Crain’s New York Business, 914 Inc. Magazine, and New York State’s Westchester Power 100.
Nicholas is deeply connected to Guyana and has co-founded the 25 Influential Women Leaders Award and the Women’s Leadership Programme, initiatives that have strengthened leadership development for women across the country. Through SAFEGuyana, the volunteer initiative she leads, she has advanced programmes addressing education, gender equity, family wellbeing, and community resilience.
In governance, Nicholas serves as Vice Chair of the United Way of Westchester and Putnam, Vice Chair of PCSB Community Foundation, Vice-President of the Youth Shelter Programme of Westchester, Board Member of Nonprofit Westchester and the Westchester Medical Centre Foundation, and member of M&T Bank’s Directors Advisory Council for the New York Metro and Southern Connecticut region. She is widely regarded as a trusted advisor for organisations navigating growth and transformation.
Reflecting on the honour, Nicholas said, “My journey began in Guyana, and every step has been shaped by the values I learned there: service, resilience, community, and purpose. This recognition is meaningful, but it belongs most to the women and families who rise every day in the face of extraordinary challenges. They are the reason I lead, and I remain committed to creating spaces where dignity, opportunity, and hope can flourish.”
Tom Gabriel, President and CEO of UWWP, said, “Michelle is a visionary leader, a change-agent, a humble spirit and a thoughtful voice who has spent her career amplifying other voices and lifting-up people in need. She embodies everything the United Way’s Woman of Distinction Award celebrates, and as such, we are honoured to recognise her.”
The Women of Distinction Award recognises leaders improving the lives of ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) households working families who struggle to meet basic needs. Nicholas’s cross-sector work has created pathways to stability and opportunity for families in the U.S. and across the Caribbean.
