Nikki King of Alliance Health Centers (AHC) Announced as 2024-2025 Obama Foundation Leader

Fort Wayne, Ind. – Sept. 30, 2024 – Today, Alliance Health Centers announced that Dr. Nikki King, chief executive officer, is among 205 leaders selected to join the Obama Foundation Leaders program. The program trains participants around the world in leadership development and civic engagement to help build their skills and scale their work across public, private, and nonprofit sectors. As this year’s only representative from Indiana, King was chosen for the categories of poverty alleviation and healthcare leadership. She will be one of just 100 Leaders participating in the Leaders USA program. 

Dr. King’s work serves both urban and rural populations and is focused on substance abuse, communities underserved in healthcare, affordable housing and economic development. Before working in the healthcare industry, she worked for the Center of Business and Economic Research, studying models of sustainability in rural communities. Growing up as a first-generation college student in Appalachia, she brings lived experience of rural communities and approaches her work in healthcare as pivotal in breaking the cycle of poverty. King holds degrees in economics from the University of Kentucky, healthcare administration from Xavier University and the Medical University of South Carolina, and is working on her master’s degree in social work with a focus on substance use disorder treatment from Indiana Wesleyan University.

As part of the six-month program, these dedicated changemakers will convene virtually each week for interactive sessions designed to help them drive change by honing their leadership skills, building deep relationships with their peers, and engaging with thought leaders and members of the Obama Foundation community. They will also have an opportunity to participate in various virtual experiences and special events, including one-on-one conversations with experienced mentors in the Foundation's global network.

The Obama Foundation Leaders USA Program, now in its second year, was inspired by the leadership values and approach of President and Mrs. Obama. The program draws on the Foundation’s ‘Hope to Action’ curriculum to support Leaders in engaging diverse perspectives, building collective power, and making tangible, sustainable progress towards a better world. The Leaders USA Program has a particular focus on strengthening democratic culture.

The Obama Foundation Leaders program is designed to further inspire, empower, and connect emerging leaders from Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the United States to change their respective communities and the world. To learn more, visit obama.org/leaders.