NICOLE MALCOMSON is a member of Council for Huu-ay-aht First Nations, holding the Citizen Development (Health, Education and Training) and Public Safety and Emergency Planning portfolios.
Nicole comes from the Johnson family, with deep ties to Port Alberni and the Bamfield community. Her parents are Ruby Ann Burkholder and Norman Mercredi, and her grandparents are Ruby and Gerry Burkholder. She is the great-granddaughter of Julie and Robert Johnson, as well as lifetime Bamfield resident Zena Robertson. Through Granny Julie, Nicole connects to the Edgar and Tate families of Ditidaht First Nation, and through her father Norman, she carries Mikisew Cree heritage with the Mercredi name, alongside Russian and English settler ancestry. She currently lives in Nanaimo with her three children, Eva, Bennett, and Colby.
In 2023, Nicole graduated from the University of British Columbia (UBC) with a focus in Indigenous Health Leadership and Health Administration. She has dedicated much of her professional career to Indigenous health equity and emergency services, including her work as a Project Coordinator supporting the Directors of Indigenous Health with BC Emergency Health Services. She continues to serve as an investigator with DECLARE BC and remains closely involved with the Kwiis hen niip Project, which works to strengthen emergency healthcare delivery in rural and remote communities.
Prior to joining Council, Nicole served multiple terms across three different Huu-ay-aht committees. When she felt called to step forward into leadership, she did so with a deep commitment to give back to the Nation and carry forward the vital work left by the late Stella Peters.
Nicole brings her professional background in health, research, and emergency systems directly into her portfolios. She believes that strong, informed communities make the best decisions for their shared future. In overseeing Citizen Development (Health, Education and Training) and Public Safety and Emergency Planning, she is focused on ensuring Huu-ay-aht citizens have transparent information, meaningful opportunities to participate, and a voice in the decisions that shape their community and well-being. She approaches leadership as a continuous journey of listening, learning, and staying closely grounded in the lived experiences of all Huu-ay-aht people.