Chad Nichols was appointed by Governor Bob Riley in May 2010 to serve as Executive Director of the Alabama Rural Action Commission (ARAC). He also serves as the State Director of the Governor's KidCheck Program and as the Project Manager of the Health Committee of the Governor's Black Belt Action Commission (BBAC).  Before holding his current positions, Nichols served as Assistant Director of ARAC for three years.  He had previously served in other capacities for Governor Riley over the past seven years including working in the Governor's Policy and Legislative Offices.

Recently, he was selected as one of Birmingham's Top 40 Under 40 by the Birmingham Business Journal for 2010.  He was also named the 2009 "Health Care Advocate of the Year" by the Birmingham Business Journal's Annual Health Care Heroes awards.  Under his leadership, KidCheck was named the overall winner for the 2009 AUM Center for Government's Innovative Alabama Governments Award for Government Program Innovation at the State / Regional Level.  Nichols has also been recognized by the AUM Center for Government for his work as a Public Manager in improving the quality of health care in the Black Belt. 

Nichols was instrumental in beginning the KidCheck program by working with the Alabama Power Foundation and Blue Cross / Blue Shield of Alabama to expand the model school-based health screening programs in Bibb and Blount Counties that have successfully reduced absenteeism and decreased the number of uninsured children in those school systems.  KidCheck was created by Governor Riley in May 2008 as a new program of the Alabama Rural Action Commission.  Under Nichols' direction, KidCheck is now being implemented in over 30 new school systems all across Alabama with over 35,000 children receiving free, annual KidCheck health screenings.

Through the BBAC Health Committee, Nichols brought together over 275 people including health care providers, non-for profits, businesses, government agencies, and regular citizens who work collaboratively to improve health care in the Black Belt.  This led to the creation of the Black Belt Eye Care Consortium, an eight member alliance that has provided thousands of free eye glasses and hundreds of free sight saving treatments to underserved children and adults in the Black Belt. The Health Committee is also responsible for increased funding for rural medical programs and for the elimination of a 30 year old state regulation that prevented dialysis in rural areas Alabama.

Nichols was appointed by Governor Riley in 2009 to serve on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Rural Health Association.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Southeastern Diabetes Education Services and was elected Vice Chair of the Delta Leadership Network's Board of Directors.  He also serves on the Delta Regional Authority's Health Advisory Council.   In addition, he is a member of the Young Leaders Council of the King's Ranch and Hannah Homes and he serves on the Community Advisory Board for the UAB Minority Health and Research Center,  Nichols is also a member of the Birmingham Lions Club.

Nichols was born and raised in Birmingham where he attended Briarwood Christian School. He received a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Auburn University in 1998, and a Masters of Business Administration from UAB in 2002. He is married to the former Lindsey Calton, from Eufaula, Alabama.