Dr. Nikki Smith-Kea is a policing change agent, founder of a consulting firm, and Senior Project Manager for Anne Arundel County’s Hate Crime Prevention Program. Previously, she served as a Stoneleigh Fellow with the Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) where she developed and promoted police accountability, wellness, and community engagement practices.
Dr. Nikki is a scholar-practitioner with deep experience in policy, research, and analysis at the international, national, and local levels. She is the founder and principal of Smith-Kea Consulting, focused on exploring strategies that improve outcomes, drive transformative solutions and policy change, and cultivate trust between communities and police. She has expertise in gender equity in policing; policing at the intersection of mental health, substance use, and homelessness; community policing; violent crime reduction; and policing reform. Most recently, she served as the Criminal Justice Manager of the Policing team at Arnold Ventures, overseeing a diverse portfolio and managing a variety of stakeholders, including law enforcement practitioners, policymakers, research institutes, national membership organizations, and advocates. Previously, she served as a project manager and senior policy analyst and technical assistance manager at the Council of State Governments Justice Center, where she worked closely with a broad spectrum of law enforcement agencies across the U.S.
Dr. Nikki holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in sociology from the University of the West Indies, a master’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of Maryland, and a master’s and PhD in leadership and change from Antioch University.
