Influential Woman · Parks & Recreation

Nicole Herrera

Deputy Director, Horry County Government

Conway, SC

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Charleston Southern University - Dual Degree in Kinesiology and Psychology (2016) Cert Certified Parks and Recreation Professional (CPRP) Cert South Carolina Parks and Recreation Association LEAD Program Graduate Cert Professional Development Academy Graduate Member National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) Member South Carolina Parks and Recreation Association

Her Story

About Nicole

I've been in the parks and recreation field for about 7-8 years, and my journey started with therapeutic recreation, which is recreation for our friends with special needs. We did fun things like participate in Special Olympics and social outings, and that's what really got me into this field. I believe that recreation and leisure is for everybody, no matter your abilities, and I wanted to have our friends who may not get it otherwise feel like they deserve the things that some of us take for granted. Prior to my current role, I was at the City of Goose Creek in a deputy or assistant director position with similar job duties, just a different title. Before that, I was the Therapeutic Recreation Coordinator. Now, as Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation for Horry County Parks and Recreation Department, I primarily oversee the recreation and programming side. I've been in this position for about a year and a half. We cover all of Horry County, which is larger than the size of Rhode Island, and we have a couple rec centers within the county. I have an amazing team that manages the day-to-day operations, and I come in overseeing those incredible people. The biggest challenge in my field is probably youth athletics, just trying to manage everybody's expectations when it comes to recreational youth leagues. But I'm comfortable being the only woman in the room in this male-dominant field.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Nicole

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to all of the wonderful people around me. My parents have been incredibly supportive, and then just all of the mentors that I've had throughout my career. The people who gave me a shot and really just taught me that what we do is really important - they've made all the difference in my journey.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I've ever received is 'Do it for them.' For me, I've always said, do it for them. And them can be whoever it needs to be, whether it's the children, the parents, the person next to you. Just do it for them. Or either that one, or 'We can do hard things.' Those two have really resonated with me - it's life advice, but yes, it is in my career as well. In general, those two things, I think, are rather important.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

Do it scared. I'm comfortable being the only woman in the room in this male-dominant field, and my advice to young women is to not let fear hold you back from entering and succeeding in this industry.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

The biggest challenge in my field is probably youth athletics. It's just trying to manage everybody's expectations when it comes to recreational youth leagues. That's where I see the most complexity and where we really have to work to balance different needs and perspectives.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

Honesty, trust, and transparency are the values most important to me. I think transparency is important, and I've always tried to explain the why behind things - why we need to do it this way, why this is important. Those things are really valuable to me in both my work and personal life.

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