April Nickens is the Director of Operations and senior moderator for The Mellman Group. She has been a member of the firm since 2000.

All business and personal affairs for Mr. Mellman are handled through April. She also aides in the handling of all client relationships and marketing for The Mellman Group. Overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of The Mellman Group, April is responsible for the firm’s financial operations as well as serving as the firm’s Benefits Administrator. April led the project to redesign and develop The Mellman Group’s new website which launched in 2011.

April is also a seasoned qualitative researcher with over a decade of experience. A skilled and trained focus group moderator, April specializes in African-American and female focus groups. She has conducted focus groups and one-on-one interviews on a wide array of topics such as health care, education, civil and human rights, energy, the environment, sex trafficking, women’s issues and politics. She has the ability to connect and gain insight with all types of voters and consumers on a wide range of issues.

April has extensive experience in customer service and public affairs. Prior to joining The Mellman Group, April served as Director of Training for Kiplinger Computer and Mailing Services, a direct marketing service provider specializing in data processing, mailing, and fulfillment operations. She is credited with designing and implementing their intensive training program and authoring the manual for all customer service representatives in the Kiplinger customer service call center.

In addition to her extensive professional experience, April is educated in Marketing and Business Administration. She received rigorous instruction in focus group moderation and in-depth qualitative interviewing at the RIVA Training Institute, in Bethesda, MD. She is currently based in Washington D.C.