Southern Indiana Business July-August 2020 | Page 38

SPOTLIGHT
A new day
Yates committed to seeing women obtain a more
prominent role in politics, policy
By Daniel Suddeath
Photos by Bill Hanson
Nicole Yates has helped some of the most powerful men in national and local
politics win elections and shape policy, but at heart, her desire to see black
people equally represented and to ensure women have a voice in the decisions
that affect their lives inspired her to a career of public service.
“For me, being black was just something where I realized that whatever space
I was in, I was going to have to fight to be there, especially being a woman,”
Yates said. “Having experiences where people turned you down or treated you differently because
of the color of your skin just wasn’t acceptable to me.”
As a child in New Albany, Yates was one of just a few black people in her elementary school.
As she grew older her interest in politics and policy increased, and she was drawn to aiding those
who she believed weren’t being equally represented.
“That’s what inspired me to be a community servant, and I just never stopped,” Yates said.
She was former President Barack Obama’s director of state scheduling in Indiana in 2008 when
he flipped the Hoosier state to blue. She worked for former Congressman Baron Hill, is U.S. Rep.
John Yarmuth’s district director, and has served as Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer’s director of
scheduling, boards and commissions.
“I’ve not worked for one elected official that didn’t have the people at heart,” she said.
“I always tell people this is God’s work. It’s not always fun. People don’t see what’s happening
behind the scenes, the calls we get, and the decisions that are being made in those offices.”
Yates is also the president of the New Albany chapter of the NAACP. Her professional and
personal life represent her dedication to equality, and it’s based on personal experience.
“It’s a passion of mine and I vowed that because I have this network and this access, that I
would make sure that my people had access to it as well,” Yates said.
And women don’t always receive the access they deserve. Politically, Yates said some of the
inequality is brought about by misperception.
38 July / August 2020