BOARD OF TRUSTEES
NICHELLE HENDERSON
Vice President
Nichelle Henderson is a college faculty and union organizer that advocates for and
builds capacity around the issues of education, labor, women’s reproductive health
and political empowerment. She is a former middle school classroom teacher.
Currently employed at California State University Los Angeles, Nichelle is a Faculty
Advisor and Clinical Field Supervisor with the Cal State TEACH teacher preparation
program; where she instructs and provides support for new and pre-service teacher
candidates working toward multiple subjects teaching credentials. Led by the
desire to be the voice of the under-represented, the strength to stand strong for
what she believes in and a passion for defending worker’s rights, she is actively
involved with labor. As an active member of the California Faculty Association, she
has served as Faculty Rights Chair of the Los Angeles chapter; having led a team
that represents bargaining unit faculty, coaches, counselors and librarians in filing
and responding to contractual grievances and Title IX complaints and currently
serves as the chapter Vice President and Chair of the Political Action Committee.
She is also a member of the statewide bargaining and representation teams. In
2016, Nichelle was recognized as Lecturer of the Year.
Nichelle’s love of politics and labor activism led her to complete the Emerge CA
political training program in 2015, the Los Angeles African American Women’s
Public Policy Institute and in 2018 and the LA County Federation of Labor’s Civic
Leadership Academy. She is a member of several Democratic Clubs and is an
elected delegate to the Los Angeles County Democratic Central Committee
representing AD66, serving as a Co-Chair of the Credentials Committee. In 2018,
Nichelle was recognized as the LACDP female Democrat of the Year representing
AD 66 and by Assembly member Al Muratsuchi as a Woman of Distinction. In 2019,
Nichelle was appointed to the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity
Commission as a labor commissioner. As the 1st Vice President of the Los Angeles
African American Women PAC, she chairs the Political Involvement and Issues
Committees striving to increase voter participation, raise community awareness
and get qualified Black women and women of color elected to public office
through education and civic engagement.
Nichelle, the oldest of three children, was born in LA County and raised in the
unincorporated West Athens area. Her parents, dedicated union members, instilled
in her a strong work ethic and a stance to fearlessly stand firm in her values. Her
father, a retired automotive mechanic is a graduate of LA Trade Tech College and
Cal State University Los Angeles and her mother, now deceased, a retired nurse
attended LA Southwest College. Nichelle is a Gold Tie alumnae of St. Mary’s
Academy in Inglewood, CA, an alumni of Cal State Los Angeles and Chapman
Universities and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Nichelle is married to Gardena City Mayor Pro Tem, Dr. Mark E. Henderson. They
have four adult children and a granddaughter.
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