Isabella Senzamici • Feb 24, 2026
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Paul Nichols is New York’s new Managing Director of External Affairs. He started in December 2025 and is focused on representing and protecting AF’s mission through government relations, advocacy, and building strong partnerships across New York City and the state. Read below to learn about his job, his background, and his hobbies.
Q: External Affairs sounds important but also a little mysterious. What does it actually mean day-to-day?
Paul Nichols: At its core, my job is to make sure Achievement First has a strong, trusted voice in the places where big decisions get made, including City Hall, Albany, state agencies, and community organizations. Schools need resources, facilities, and supportive policies to thrive, and those things don’t happen by accident. Someone has to be in the room advocating for our students, families, and educators.
Q: Why did AF create this role now?
Paul Nichols: After the pandemic, many organizations, including AF, had less presence in political and civic spaces. At the same time, the policy environment became more complex. This role is part of Achievement First’s regional approach, making sure New York has dedicated leadership focused on New York-specific needs, relationships, and opportunities.
Q: You’ve spent much of your career in law and public policy. How did that path lead you here?
Paul Nichols: My career sits at the intersection of law, policy, and advocacy. I’ve been an attorney for over 20 years, worked in state government, and served as chief counsel and chief legislative aide to the President of the New York State Senate. That experience taught me how policy really works. I’m fluent in a foreign language I call “legislatoreese”. And I often joke that working in Albany felt like working in the WWE so that makes me kind of a professional wrestler.
Q: When did charter schools first become part of your work?
Paul Nichols: Back around 2008–2009, when the legislature was debating whether to raise New York’s charter school cap. At the time, there was a lot of rhetoric suggesting charters would harm traditional public schools. But when you looked at the data and listened to families, it became clear that both systems serve important needs. I’ve believed ever since that this doesn’t have to be an “either/or” conversation.
Q: What’s the biggest misconception lawmakers have about charter schools today?
Paul Nichols: That charter schools take money, space, or resources away from district schools. In reality, we should be advocating for a system where education is one big pot and where all students benefit from equitable funding, facilities, and opportunities. That’s the frame I try to bring into every conversation. I want to use this role to showcase examples of collaboration, not competition. For example, we should be bringing charter and district families together around shared causes like community health days, civic engagement events, and service projects. When parents stand side-by-side advocating for better facilities or transportation, it changes the narrative from “us versus them” to “we’re in this together.”
Q: Where do you see “low-hanging fruit” for new partnerships?
Paul Nichols: Transportation advocacy is a big one. So is facilities equity. And beyond policy, there are so many community-building opportunities: sports leagues, music collaborations, theater productions, food drives. These shared experiences build trust and remind us how much we actually have in common.
Q: Speaking of music and theater, you have a creative side too. Tell us about that.
Paul Nichols: Music and theater are huge parts of my life. I play piano and bass guitar and have been a musician for more than 25 years. I also run a theater company through my church that produces plays tackling issues like bullying and mental health. The arts are powerful; they bring people together and open doors to hard conversations in meaningful ways.
Q: Faith also plays an important role in your life. How does that connect to your work?
Paul Nichols: Faith-based organizations are often overlooked partners in civic engagement, even though their members’ children attend both charter and district schools. These spaces can host town halls, mobilize communities, and advocate for equity in really impactful ways.
Q: What’s your ideal Sunday?
Paul Nichols: Early-morning touch football in the winters or softball in the spring. Then I head to church. After church, I relax before heading out to dinner with friends. I love all you can eat buffets. And then I end the night with a binge-worthy show. My current one is Stranger Things.
Q: Since you love music, let’s end with your desert-island playlist—three songs?
Paul Nichols: “Danger Zone” from Top Gun because I love driving around to movie soundtracks. “Better” by Hezekiah Walker because I need a gospel record. And “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson because it feels especially fitting for this conversation. Unity matters.
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