
An experienced education professional, Nichole Thiel has taught at Timberlake High School and Lake City High School in Idaho, teaching a leadership curriculum that she designed. She then earned a masters of administration in education with a strong emphasis in career and technical education. Nichole Thiel is also a member of the National Education Association and attended the Vanhemert Leadership Academy.
The Vanhemert Leadership Academy is a three-year instruction program for school administrators facilitated by the Idaho Association of School Administrators. The training program affords attendees the opportunity to collaborate and enhance their leadership abilities. It provides training sessions in the form of seminars that help administrators understand their leadership styles and learn how to complement those styles with human relations and business skills.
In the first year of the program, the topics covered include effective leadership styles, communication skills, developing teams, and goals and growth plans. In the second year, attendees learn about conflict management, marketing, reculturing for success, and leadership in special education. In the third year, the subjects include stress and time management, technology in education, legal issues in schools, and instructional leadership. Program participants also attend four meetings every year where they give presentations in front of their regional peers and hold roundtable discussions, growing their networks and enhancing collegiality.