Nicole Riley
Director of Virginia Government Affairs
Data Center Coalition
Nicole Riley serves as Director of Virginia Government Affairs for the Data Center Coalition (DCC), the member association serving as the voice of the data center industry.
Nicole is a seasoned government relations professional who recently represented clients before the Virginia General Assembly and executive branch in various industries as President of Blue Ridge Public Affairs. She also advised clients on advocacy activities, including policy development, grassroots engagement, coalition building, and political activities.
Nicole has over twenty-five years of experience in government relations across both private and public sectors. Before starting her own firm, she worked at the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and served as Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade, where she led policy development and advocacy efforts for funding critical economic development projects and programs.
Nicole led the Virginia state office for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), representing over 6,000 small business owners on issues like tax, health care, energy, and unemployment policies. She successfully implemented grassroots campaigns on protecting private property rights and tax reform, and co-led a coalition of over thirty business trade associations.
A graduate of Roanoke College, Nicole holds a B.A. degree in Political Science with a Minor in History. In her free time, Nicole enjoys camping with her family and attending live music shows. She was raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains and has lived in Richmond for over two decades.