Nicole Neily
President Secretary · Parents Defending Education
President Secretary at Parents Defending Education. Listed as an officer, director, or key employee across 2 organizations on the Form 990 record.
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Nicole Neily is the founder and president of Speech First Inc., an organization dedicated to defending students' First Amendment rights on college campuses, a role she has held since founding the organization in 2018. She also served as Chairman and Director for Speech First from 2020-2024, with a reported compensation of $182,300.
Prior to establishing Speech First, Neily held significant positions in public policy advocacy, including president of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity and executive director and senior fellow at the Independent Women's Forum. She also founded Defending Education, a national membership organization focused on advocating for children's education and combating discrimination.
Neily is recognized for her work in successfully litigating against universities to disband "Bias Response Teams" and for her broader efforts in promoting free speech.
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- Bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Illinois
- Master's degree in public policy from Pepperdine University's School of Public Policy
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