WestCare Ohio is proud to celebrate Nichole Smith, Regional Vice President and Executive Director at East End Community Services by WestCare Ohio, for being named a 2026 40 Under 40 winner by the Dayton Business Journal.
Now in its 29th year, the Dayton Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Awards recognize some of the Miami Valley’s brightest young professionals for their leadership, impact, and promise. More than 150 people from across the region were nominated for this year’s class, which includes leaders from a wide range of industries and professions, including CEOs, lawyers, medical doctors, health care leaders, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and community advocates.
The 2026 honorees were celebrated during an awards banquet held on May 14 at the Dayton Convention Center.
For Nichole, this recognition is both a professional milestone and a deeply personal reflection of a journey rooted in resilience, service, and purpose.
Nichole’s early career was grounded in public service and public safety. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Indiana University and also studied Spanish Language and Culture at Tecnológico de Monterrey. She became a law enforcement officer in Indiana after graduating from the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, later served as an Investigator with Montgomery County Job and Family Services, and went on to graduate from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Basic Academy before joining the City of Centerville as a police officer.
After her own breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 29, Nichole then transitioned into the nonprofit sector, bringing with her the same commitment to protecting, advocating for, and serving others. At Pink Ribbon Girls, now known as Pink Ribbon Good, she supported individuals and families facing breast and gynecological cancer, helping connect them with services such as healthy meals, housecleaning, transportation to treatment, and peer support. As Director of Programming, she played a key role in serving cancer patients and their families across multiple states, while also advocating for young survivors and underserved communities.
Nichole later served with VOICES Corporation in Indianapolis, including as Chairman of the Board and then as Vice President of Growth and Strategy. In that role, she helped advance work focused on empowering youth through self-expression, community involvement, and opportunities for positive change.
Today, at East End Community Services, Nichole continues to build on that life’s work by advancing education, well-being, and economic mobility to strengthen families and communities. Her leadership reflects the heart of WestCare’s mission: Uplifting the Human Spirit through meaningful, community-centered service.
In her reflection on the Forty Under 40 honor, Nichole shared that she could not have imagined this moment when her life changed due to a diagnosis nearly a decade ago.
“What once felt like dreams deferred were, in many ways, being reshaped into something different, but no less worthy,” she wrote. “Life may not always unfold the way we planned, but sometimes purpose finds us in unexpected places. And sometimes the dream that emerges on the other side is one you never knew to dream for yourself.”
Nichole’s recognition by the Dayton Business Journal is a testament to her perseverance, her vision, and her unwavering commitment to community. Her story reminds us that leadership is not always defined by a straight path. Sometimes it is shaped through adversity, renewed through service, and strengthened by the people and communities we choose to uplift along the way.
Please join WestCare and East End Community Services in congratulating Nichole on this well-deserved honor.
