Amelia Nickerson joined First Step Staffing in January 2018 and was appointed as CEO in May 2020. Amelia has two decades of experience as a fundraiser, volunteer, and board member for nonprofits across the Southeast. As CEO, Amelia has helped grow First Step into three new markets and continues to increase both the financial metrics and community impact the organization has each year. Under her leadership, First Step has become the largest alternative staffing agency in the U.S. and was recognized by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness at a “Extra Mile” Award winner in 2020.

Amelia previously served as the Vice President of Development and Community Relations at First Step, managing fundraising and community relations for all of First Step’s current markets, as well as assisting with expansion opportunities. As the head of Development, Amelia exceeded fundraising goals each year while also helping to build relationships with lending and local community partners. She assisted in the growth of First Step into new markets, managing fundraising and lender relationships, overseeing Board governance, and serving as an Interim Executive Director for First Step Philadelphia. She also helped to launch a new training pilot “Second Step” for First Step clients and help to connect the organization to local leaders in workforce development which is now part of First Step’s national model for upskilling. Amelia also provided oversight on board governance for the organization.

Prior to joining First Step, Amelia worked as an Associate Director at Coxe Curry & Associates, managing capital campaigns, feasibility studies, and general consulting engagements for a range of clients, including the Atlanta Women’s Foundation, Fulton County Schools, Georgia World Congress Center/Centennial Olympic Park, Bobby Jones Golf Course, and Navicent Health Foundation. Before working at Coxe Curry, Amelia served as a fundraising consultant for a documentary project with Georgia Public Broadcasting and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra titled Robert Shaw – Man of Many Voices, a film on the life, legacy, and music of legendary conductor Robert Shaw. Her career also includes positions with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Woodruff Arts Center, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts (Washington, DC), and Peace Center for the Performing Arts (Greenville, SC), with a focus on donor research and corporate and foundation fundraising.

Amelia serves on the Worksource Fulton Board and is Chair of Strategic Partnerships Committee, as well as the Metro Atlanta Exchange for Workforce Development’s Board of Directors, and the Governing Council for Partners for Home. She is also on the local Advisory Boards for the CEO (Center for Employment Opportunities) and Café Momentum. Amelia has also served as president of the board for the Anti-Prejudice Consortium and past chair of the annual Power Over Prejudice (POP) Summit.