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Nicole Downes, Special Olympics Connecticut's new Chief Financial Officer, is passionate about helping mission-driven organizations operate more effectively and sustainably. 

Nicole brings over 15 years of experience in non-profit and healthcare finance, she specializes in building strong financial infrastructures, improving transparency, and partnering across teams to support strategic decision-making. She brings a holistic leadership approach, overseeing finance, IT, and HR functions while aligning financial strategy with organizational mission and impact. 

Nicole is known for her collaborative leadership style and her ability to translate complex financial data into meaningful insights that drive impact.

In addition to her executive leadership, she serves as an adjunct professor of accounting, where she enjoys mentoring the next generation of finance professionals and bringing real-world perspective into the classroom.