Jacob Nicholson

Jacob Nicholson joined the Board of Regents staff in June 2026. He has had a lengthy career in government, most recently serving as the Chief Operating Officer for the State of Iowa Executive Branch. There, he was a key leader in successfully consolidating Iowa’s executive cabinet from 37 agencies down to 16, which generated $275 million in cost savings over three years. Nicholson also worked for more than a decade for the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in multiple positions, culminating as response division administrator. In that role he oversaw the agency’s emergency preparedness, communications and technology, and grants and finance bureaus, and also served as Chief of Operations in the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC). He earned his bachelor's degree in political science from Iowa State University, graduating with distinction.