Espresso Shot 18 with Nicole Collier

Nicole Collier serves as the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council (NACC) executive director and research associate for the Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy (CNP) at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. As NACC's executive director, she supports NACC member programs around the world. Her work includes overseeing various committees, creating and updating curricular guidelines used globally, managing publication opportunities, accrediting nonprofit and philanthropic degree programs, and more.

As the research associate for CNP, Nicole supports Brazos Valley organizations, assists with various research projects in partnership with nationally-focused organizations, and serves as the research partner for the Built for Texas initiative with United Ways of Texas and the OneStar Foundation.

Before joining the Bush School and NACC, Nicole worked with other nonprofit organizations including Make-A-Wish North Texas, The Children's Society in London, and several East Texas organizations.

An East Texas native, Nicole graduated from Nacogdoches High School in 2012. She earned her bachelor's degree from Austin College in Sherman, Texas and a Master's degree in public service administration (MPSA) from the Bush School with a focus on nonprofit management and analytic methods.

Sarah Chrastecky is the director of the Annenberg Presidential Conference Center, where she oversees all aspects of the operation.

Chrastecky graduated from Texas Lutheran University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in studio art and a minor in psychology. Upon graduation, she moved to the Bryan/College Station area.

In the summer of 2009, Chrastecky began working for the APCC and caught the industry bug. During this time, she had the opportunity to expand her knowledge and passion by attending and graduating from the IAVM Venue Management School. In October of 2012, she transitioned to an associate director position for Chartwells Catering at Texas A&M University to continue her experience and business interests. She returned to the APCC as the manager in the summer of 2015. In February of 2017, she stepped in as interim director until June of 2018, when she accepted the director position.

Chrastecky is the mother of two beautiful boys and wife to a golf course superintendent. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, game nights, family movie nights and entertainment provided by sarcastic 10 and 4-year-olds.

Tracy ‘TJ’ Hefti is originally from Houston, Texas, and joined the APCC in 2018. She has over 10 years of experience in various service industry roles and is excited to bring those skills to Texas A&M. TJ has her Certified Meeting Professionals (CMP) certification, as well as the Certified Professional in Management certification (AMA-CPM). In her free time she enjoys creating art, exploring and supporting local cuisines and spending time with her family.