Vera Institute of Justice

Nico MacDonald worked as the communications manager for Vera’s Reshaping Prosecution initiative in the communications and external affairs department. In this role, he managed strategic communications to change the narrative around public safety and support reform-minded prosecutors nationwide. He was instrumental in contributions to a New York Times Pulitzer Prize–winning series on traffic stops.

Previously, Nico worked as communications manager for Humanities New York (HNY), the New York State affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. At HNY, he focused on building statewide networks, facilitating interdisciplinary conversations, and advocating for funding. His work on the 2020 Census led to the creation of a grant line at the Modern Language Association to support access for non-English speaking communities.

Nico holds a BA from the University of Michigan, where he studied environmental science and linguistic anthropology, and an MS from Hunter College, City University of New York in urban policy and leadership.