Nicole Marchese is an operations administrative specialist and the assistant corporate secretary at the Stanley Center for Peace and Security, where she provides administrative support to the operations and communications teams. Before joining the Stanley Center, Marchese had administrative and operations roles at the John Deere Foundation, where she managed its in-kind donation grant requests, coordinated events with the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce and United Way, and assisted with employee gift programs. In addition to her professional background in the nonprofit sector, Marchese helped found Opportunity Kicks, a not-for-profit organization that provides inner-city children with the opportunity to play competitive soccer for little to no cost. Marchese has a BS in commercial recreation from the University of Iowa with an emphasis on business.