Nicole Hawkins founded Nicole Hawkins Communications in October 2004.  From a family of entrepreneurs, Nicole started her business shortly after her 30th birthday.  Since she began, Nicole has expanded her portfolio doing work in the hospitality industry and the non-profit sector while continuing her work in sports and entertainment.

Prior to founding NHC, Nicole was the Director of Public Relations for the Washington Wizards (NBA) where she worked closely with players including Michael Jordan, Jerry Stackhouse and Gilbert Arenas.  She was responsible for pitching and facilitating media interviews, planning press conferences and other special events, producing team-related publications and traveling with the team to ensure all media relations requirements were met.  In what many think is a man’s world, Nicole was the first African-American woman to hold the job of Public Relations Director for an NBA franchise.  Prior to the Wizards, Nicole worked with various promoters and artists as the Director of Public Relations for Washington Sports and Entertainment.  In this position, she was responsible for maximizing public relations efforts for concerts, family shows and other special events that came to Verizon Center (formerly MCI Center) and the George Mason University Patriot Center.   

Understanding the importance of giving back, Nicole is active in her community.  She is an avid volunteer through Greater DC Cares, Washington DC’s leading coordinator of volunteerism and corporate philanthropy.  She is also on the Board of Directors for The Foundation Schools, an independent non-profit school for special education designed to meet the educational, social and psychological needs of students with emotional disturbances. Forever a basketball fan, Nicole is on the planning committee for the BB&T Classic, the annual college basketball tournament in Washington, DC which raises money for the Children’s Charities Foundation.  

A graduate of the University of Maryland - College Park, Nicole is a native of Watertown, New York.  She currently resides in Arlington, Virginia.