CYCLE BREAKER

Nikki Thomas

Development Director, Golden Girl Group Home and President, Cornerstone Community Department

SUPERPOWER: Raising money

Nikki Thomas grew up in an abusive home in New York, homeless from the age of 16 and labeled a throwaway kid. “But a young schoolteacher took me off the street and taught me how to get my GED,” she says. “From there, I went to junior college and got an associate’s degree and went on to get a master’s degree.”

She overcame the odds and works tirelessly so other young girls will be able to, too. Since 2016, she has served as development director for Golden Girl Group Home, a Ceredo-based nonprofit facility that houses abused, neglected, and orphaned girls. “My job is to make sure they have all the little things that little girls should have, because they deserve it,” she says.

The home traditionally served girls ages 12–18, but due to a major development project in which Thomas has been actively involved, the campus now houses young women up to age 23. “We also built a social enterprise called Golden Minds Center for Learning and Development,” she says.

She has always had a passion for kids who fall through the cracks and are in circumstances beyond their control. “I see girls graduate from college and have successful careers and families,” she says. “Breaking the cycles of poverty, abuse, and neglect really is rewarding.”

Thomas is president of Cornerstone Community Department, which works to unlock community potential and well-being. She has also spearheaded the $50 million redevelopment of The Prichard Hotel in downtown Huntington. It’s been exciting, she says, to lead the project to house low-income senior citizens.

When not involved in one of her many projects, which now also includes Nikki Thomas Consulting, helping nonprofits expand and grow through development, she enjoys riding and training her adopted former racehorse, Barney.

Written by Julie Perine

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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.