Interim Chief Executive Officer

Ruth T. Jones Nichols, Ph.D. is Interim CEO of YWCA USA and a nationally recognized nonprofit executive and social impact strategist with more than 30 years of experience advancing equity, economic opportunity, and community impact. Her relationship with YWCA spans decades, beginning when she was just 12 years old, and her family found refuge in a YWCA shelter. That formative experience helped shape her lifelong commitment to empowering women, strengthening families, and creating opportunities for communities to thrive.

Years later, Dr. Jones Nichols returned to the YWCA movement as Executive Director of YWCA South Hampton Roads. In that role, she strengthened the organization’s sustainability, expanded housing opportunities for individuals experiencing housing instability due to homelessness or gender-based violence, and established licensed child development centers on four community college campuses. She returns to YWCA in a national leadership role, bringing both a deeply personal connection to the mission and decades of executive experience.

Throughout her career, Dr. Jones Nichols has led complex organizations through transformation, strengthened financial sustainability, and built partnerships that deliver meaningful community impact. Most recently, she served as Executive Vice President of Local and National Programs at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), overseeing a nationwide portfolio of local offices and national initiatives. She held responsibility for $150 million in annual revenue and capital deployment goals while helping advance an enterprise-wide investment strategy deploying more than $3 billion annually in underserved communities.

Previously, Dr. Jones Nichols served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Engagement and Senior Advisor to the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). She also held senior executive roles at Feeding America and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. As President and CEO of the Foodbank, she grew its annual operating budget from approximately $25 million to $43 million, strengthened financial reserves, and expanded strategic partnerships.

Dr. Jones Nichols is also the Founder and President of the iamRuth Foundation, advancing opportunities for women and girls through philanthropy, partnerships, and community investment.

A respected national voice on nonprofit leadership and community transformation, Dr. Jones Nichols has been featured by CNN, MSNBC, and Politico. Her honors include the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, the Inside Business Women in Business Achievement Award, and recognition among Hampton Roads’ 10 Most Powerful People.

She holds a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America, an M.S.W. from the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. from William & Mary. Her return to YWCA USA represents another chapter in a relationship that has shaped both her life and leadership, bringing her experience full circle as she helps guide the organization through its next chapter.

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