CLEAR LAKE – Jeff Nichols of Grand Junction, Colorado, has been hired as the new Chief Executive Officer of Opportunity Village.
Nichols will begin his duties sometime in June 2014, following the retirement of current CEO John Severtson.
Jeff Nichols has been serving as CEO of Strive (formerly Mesa Developmental Services) since 2008. Strive is a person-centered impact organization providing services and supports to over 1,100 people with a wide variety of disabilities and needs. Prior to this, Nichols worked at South Dakota Achieve, in Sioux Falls, for 17 years. Among a variety of executive roles, he was their VP of Finance before becoming the Chief Operating Officer in 2003. Prior to his work in the human services field, he worked numerous years in school districts in the finance and technology areas and also created and operated his own company, AURA Software.
Nichols is also currently serving as the Executive Director of the Western Colorado Botanical Gardens (which was acquired by Strive in 2013), helping their volunteer Board with budgeting, planning for the near term and strategic, long range planning focused on operational and financial stability, community relationships, growth and expansion. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Parenting Place, which was also recently acquired by Strive. He is also active in several statewide organizations, is a member of the downtown Rotary club, graduate of the National Leadership Institute, participant in the GJ Chamber New Executives program and a GJ Chamber member and Chamber Board member, a member of The Alternative Board, and a member of ACHE.
Previously, Jeff was very involved in a wide variety of community organizations and efforts like school PTA, Big Brother mentor, Cub Scouts Den Leader and CubMaster, Sioux Falls Soccer Association referee, assessor, coach and board member; served on the board for SD Parent Connection; and also spent nearly eight combined years as an adjunct professor at Kilian Community College and the University of Sioux Falls. He was also instrumental in leading statewide service change initiatives and was a co-founding member of the Focus on the Future project in Colorado.
Nichols has a Master’s degree in Business Administration, a BS in Management Information Systems, is a graduate of the Leadership Institute of the University of Delaware, a School Business Institute graduate, and a graduate of Leadership Sioux Falls. He has a strong background in finance, information technologies, healthcare and services to people with developmental disabilities, especially creative employment and job training opportunities.
Jeff is married to Kris, his wife of 30 years, and has two adult children: Tyler, an Engineer with Flint Hills Resources in the Minneapolis area, and Alex, a Diesel Technician for Butler Machinery in Pierre, SD.
In his spare time, Jeff enjoys the outdoors, camping, hiking, gardening, restoring vehicles, and home remodeling projects. Previously he was active in numerous symphony chorus and performing arts groups.
The first Village director, Don Boyer, helped create the original Handicap Village, which broke new ground in services to people with disabilities. Boyer died suddenly in 1983, and then Social Services Director Ralph Schroeder served as interim director until Gary Mrosko was hired in 1984 as Executive Director. John Severtson has been employed by the Village for 31 years and spent the past 12 years as CEO.
