The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has appointed Nicole Rawlings as director of the Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs (OHREP). Her appointment is effective Monday, May 18.

Rawlings succeeds OHREP Director Michael Simms, who was appointed to the position in 2024. She brings nearly two decades of experience in Fairfax County government, including human rights, equity programs and personnel policy. She most recently served as executive director of the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission, a role she has held since 2018. In that position, she administered the county’s employee grievance process, presided over hearings and issued rulings, and provided guidance on personnel policies and procedures. She also represented the commission to the Board of Supervisors, the county executive and other stakeholders, and led training and alternative dispute resolution efforts.

Rawlings previously spent more than a decade with the Office of Human Rights and Equity Programs, where she served as a human rights specialist and advanced through multiple roles of increasing responsibility. She led fair housing and employment discrimination investigations, managed federal partnerships and compliance requirements, and helped design and implement outreach and engagement strategies.

Her work included close coordination with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and other partner agencies, as well as advising the Human Rights Commission on policy, enforcement trends and legal updates.

Earlier in her career, Rawlings served as a staff attorney with AHC in Manassas, where she handled contract disputes and negotiated settlements on behalf of clients.

Rawlings earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and her law degree from the George Washington University Law School.

The mission of OHREP is to ensure equal opportunity and promote justice, diversity and inclusiveness by protecting civil rights in Fairfax County. OHREP receives and investigates complaints alleging violations of the Fairfax County Human Rights Ordinance and manages the county’s Fair Housing Plan. OHREP also administers the county’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) program and ensures compliance with all federal, state and county mandates granting equal access to county services, programs and employment opportunities.