Nicole Kazee serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Esperanza Health Centers. She brings more than a decade of leadership experience in community health, strategy, and healthcare policy, with a career dedicated to improving access to high quality care. Before joining Esperanza, Nicole spent nearly 10 years leading strategy at Erie Family Health Centers. Prior to that, she worked on healthcare policy and strategic initiatives for the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System. She began her professional career in academia after earning a PhD in Political Science from Yale University, where her research and teaching focused on Medicaid policymaking. She also holds a bachelor's degree from Wake Forest University.
Nicole was drawn to Esperanza because of its unwavering belief that healthcare is a human right and its commitment to providing exceptional, welcoming care for every patient. Throughout her career, she has been passionate about bringing together mission-driven work and thoughtful business strategy to strengthen organizations and the communities they serve.
Outside of work, Nicole enjoys staying active through tennis, yoga, swimming, biking, hiking, strength training, and finding opportunities to walk whenever she can. She also loves traveling, reading fiction, and exploring great food from around the world, making Chicago an ideal place to call home. Much of her free time is spent cheering on and chauffeuring her 12-year-old twins as they stay busy with their many activities.