Nichole Eshelman
Deputy Director, Office of Administrative Services

Nichole Eshelman is the Deputy Director for the Office of Administrative Services and is responsible for human resources, labor relations, training, accounting, budgets, facilities management, business services, contracts, procurement, business continuity planning, strategic planning and the Department’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program. Nichole has over 14 years of experience in all facets of administrative work within state service.
Nichole joined the DMHC in May of 2020, as the Chief for the Workforce Support Division, which includes the Human Resources, Training, Organizational Effectiveness, EEO, Safety, and Wellness Offices. Prior to joining the DMHC, Nichole worked for the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) where she was responsible for overseeing the operational activities at the San Diego Member Service Center and other satellite offices throughout the San Diego and Imperial regions. Prior to joining CalSTRS, Nichole spent several years working for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) where she was responsible for a wide range of administrative and staff services functions.
Nichole is passionate about the DMHC’s mission and brings a wealth of knowledge to her role, including experience in all areas of administrative services. In August 2018, Nichole was recognized by the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and received the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification for making significant process improvements and achieving efficiencies in the CDFW’s process for soliciting, reviewing, and ranking proposals for Federal State Wildlife Grant funds. The project’s success was featured in an August 2018 Governor’s Press Release.
Nichole holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from California State University, San Diego.