As Chief Human Resources Officer, Mrs. Nicole Lawson is responsible for the recruitment, selection, staffing, compensation, development, performance management, and retention for over 6,000 employees across 70 urban schools in the capital city of Atlanta, Georgia. In that role, Mrs. Lawson provides the strategic direction for the departments of Employee Relations, Talent Management and Human Resource (HR) Services, as well as employee well-being.

Nicole has over 21 years of experience in human resources management for K-12 public education. While previously serving as Executive Director of Talent Management for the district, Nicole consistently met our district talent targets including having less than ten vacancies at the start of the school year for seven (7) consecutive years. She has wealth of experience and knowledge in managing HR systems, processes, and leading high-performing teams. Nicole received Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Business Administration in Human Resources Management from University of Phoenix.  She is also a certified professional in human resources (PHR) and a member of the inaugural cohort of the Urban Schools Human Capital Academy.

As a third generation Atlantan, Nicole is a proud graduate of Atlanta Public Schools – D. M. Therrell High.  Growing up in Southwest Atlanta, she knows first-hand that quality educators can change the trajectory of students’ lives.  Nicole takes great pride in being a part of the APS community and as a daughter of a former APS educator and principal, she witnessed the countless hours and days of preparation our staff endure off the clock to bring forth impactful lessons to our students every day. Nicole’s passion for equipping and empowering all staff members is born in her belief that the students of Atlanta deserve no less than their absolute best effort each and every day.