Director of Marketing and Communications
npaquette@cftexas.org
214-750-4147
As the director of marketing and communications, Nicole oversees the implementation of communication strategy aligned with CFT’s strategic plan, while also supporting special initiatives. Prior to joining CFT in 2017, Nicole spent five years as communications manager at the Community Foundation of the Holland/Zeeland Area in Holland, Michigan. In this role, she managed all aspects of the foundation's print, web and electronic communications, marketing, branding, and event planning. Prior to her work in the community foundation field, Nicole worked as a grant writer, editor, project manager, and marketing coordinator in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region. She held various communications roles over a decade at the Bay County Library System in Bay City, Michigan. Nicole holds a bachelor's in professional and technical writing and communication from Saginaw Valley State University.
Community Leadership / Board ServiceNicole has a passion for civic engagement, libraries, and literacy, and has chaired two successful library millage levy renewal efforts to ensure continued funding for the local library systems in her hometown of Bay City, Michigan, as well as in Holland, Michigan where she previously worked. In 2021-22, she co-led Big D Reads, serving as marketing chair and on the steering committee, in an equity-focused effort to foster community conversations around The Accommodation, a book on Dallas' racial history. She serves on the Friends of the Dallas Public Library board of directors, has served on their executive commitee, and has twice served as co-chair of their annual fundraising event, Love Local (2022), and A Novel Night Out (2019). She is a Mayor's Star Council graduate, class of 2019-2020, and helped lead the organization's re-brand/re-launch in 2021-22 to Engage Dallas. She now serves on the Engage Dallas advisory committee. She is a 2019 graduate of the Dallas Regional Chamber of Commerce's LEAD YP program. Since 2014, Nicole has served on the national steering committee CommA, a professional association of community foundation communicators, where she now serves as chair. She co-chaired the 2016 CommA Days national conference for communications professionals across the country, and was a co-chair for the joint AdNet-ProNet-CommA CFUnited conference for 300-plus community foundation colleagues across the nation in 2018 and 2020. She has helped plan four pre-conferences for community foundation leaders at the annual Communications Network conference, and currently serves on the 2022-23 Council on Foundations "Leading Locally: The Power of Place-based Community Philanthropy" conference working group. She serves on the Philanthropy Southwest communications committee and is a founding member of the Communication Network's ComNetworkLocal Dallas-Fort Worth chapter. Prior to her move to Texas, Nicole was president of the Holland/Zeeland Young Professionals board of directors where she helped launch the “What You Do Matters” annual leadership awards for young professionals in the West Michigan lakeshore region. She also served as past president, vice president and communications chair for the organization. She is a past Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Grand Rapids (YNPN) award finalist and Michigan West Coast Chamber of Commerce Young Athena award finalist, as well as a graduate of the West Coast Leadership program. In 2023, Nicole recieved the Distinguished Professional Achievement Award from the University of North Texas Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism.
Joined CFT2017
2017
Favorite Aspect of CFT"Being able to tell the stories of generosity in our community and inspiring others to give back." Favorite Quote"Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."— Swami Sivananda Saraswati
"Being able to tell the stories of generosity in our community and inspiring others to give back."
Favorite Quote"Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."
"Put your heart, mind, intellect, and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success."
President and CEO
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer
Senior Vice President, Chief Giving and Community Impact Officer
Executive Director, Educate Texas
Chief Human Resources Officer
Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Mid-Senior Database Administrator
Program Assistant, RGV Focus
Senior Director, North Texas Giving Day
Senior Director, Programs, Educate Texas
Executive Assistant, Educate Texas
Deputy Director, Programs, College and Career Readiness, Educate Texas
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Associate, Programs, College and Career Readiness, Educate Texas
Associate, Policy and Advocacy
Deputy Director, Programs
Accounting Manager
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Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Chief Philanthropy Officer
Director, Philanthropy Advocates, Educate Texas
Talent Acquisition Manager
Program Officer, North Texas Giving Day
Associate, Higher Education Programs
Senior Donor Engagement Officer, Collin County
Associate, Programs, Educate Texas
Sr Director, Fundraising and Development
Senior Director, Strategy and Analytics
Business Engagement Officer
Content Marketing and Associate, Educate Texas
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Senior Director, Learning and Insights
Director, Higher Education Programs
Senior Manager, Data Management and Analysis
HR Business Partner
Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy
Senior Community Philanthropy Officer
Managing Director of Operations
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Jr. Officer, Community Philanthropy
HR Program Manager, Learning and Engagement
Senior Director of Donor Engagement
Deputy Director, Development, Educate Texas
Administrative Assistant, Educate Texas
Deputy Director, RGV Focus
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Grants Administrator, Accounting
Senior Officer, Donor Engagement
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Deputy Director, Programs, Educate Texas
Finance Associate, Educate Texas
Senior Operations Officer
Officer, Scholarships and Nonprofit Funds
Palacios Area Fund Coordinator
Senior Accounts Payable Administrator
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Executive Assistant, HR
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Grants Manager
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Public Relations and Social Media Coordinator
Marketing and Communications Project Manager
Executive Assistant, CFAO and CMO
Associate, Insights and Analytics
Associate, RGV Focus
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Program Analyst, Educate Texas
Director, Property and Facilities
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
System Administrator
Investments Administrator
Communications and Fundraising Coordinator, Kaleidoscope Park
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Events Manager, Relationships
Facilities Manager
Associate, Fundraising and Development
Executive Assistant, Philanthropy
Director, Talent and Organizational Effectiveness
Deputy Director, Insights and Analytics, Educate Texas
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Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications
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Financial Planning Analyst
Chief Investment Officer
Chief Information Officer
Chief Accounting Officer
Deputy Director, Best in Class
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist
Help Desk Technician
Senior Donor Relations Officer
Deputy Director, Strategy, Higher Education / Workforce
Associate, Events, Marketing, and Communications
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Community Philanthropy Officer
Program Officer, Learning & Insights
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Deputy Director, Higher Education
Senior Analyst, Philanthropy
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Deputy Director, Public Education
Executive Assistant, Finance
IT Project Manager
Deputy Director, Operations
Director, Programs, College and Career Readiness, Educate Texas
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Director, Texas College Access Network, Educate Texas
Human Resources Operations Manager
Deputy Director, Higher Education Policy
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Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) works with families, companies and nonprofits to build thriving communities locally and across the state through a variety of charitable funds and strategic initiatives. The foundation professionally manages over 1,000 charitable funds and runs several key initiatives like Educate Texas, North Texas Giving Day and the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Fund. CFT has awarded more than $1.7 billion in grants since its founding in 1953.