Courtney Nicholas joined the Office of Catholic Schools for the Diocese of Richmond as Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Licensure in August 2026. She brings nearly two decades of experience in education, having served as a social studies and language arts teacher in charter, public, and Catholic schools, as well as an assistant principal.

A product of Catholic schools herself, Courtney has built her career on the conviction that academic rigor and authentic faith strengthen one another. During her time at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Danville, she helped develop instructional initiatives spanning preschool through eighth grade while continuing to teach middle school and moderate student activities. Her work in education was recognized with the Diocese of Richmond’s Excellence in Catholic Education Award in 2023 and the Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce’s Educator of the Year Award in 2018.

Courtney holds a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Arts from La Salle University in her native Philadelphia. Beyond her work in education, music has long played a central role in her life, and she has served as a church cantor since childhood. Her parents fostered in her a deep love of history, inspiring her to become an avid traveler and museum-goer. She now shares that same sense of curiosity and discovery with her own family, exploring new places whenever possible. Courtney and her husband, Michael, live in Danville with their three children.