Nikki Bass

Director of the Office of Federal Acknowledgment

Nikki Bass, a citizen of the Nansemond Indian Nation, serves as the Director of the Office of Federal Acknowledgment. Nikki comes to the Department of Interior with 20 years of experience in organizational and community leadership. She started her career in 2005 with the Department of Defense, specializing in human health and environmental research. In 2015, Nikki transitioned to the Environmental Protection Agency to lead interdisciplinary teams in the Office of Water and Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. In these roles, she gained recognition for collaborative leadership, evidence-based decision-making, innovation, and organizational change.

Most recently, Nikki served as the Associate Director of the Science Policy Division in EPA's Office of Research and Development, where she managed a diverse scientific and regulatory portfolio and complex operations for 40 staff. Over the past 10 years, she has applied the principles of scientific integrity from her professional experience to anthropological, genealogical, and historical research in her tribal community. Nikki holds a Bachelor's in Chemistry and Physics from the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and a Master's in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University.