Nicole Robinson Etienne

Vice President of Community and Government Affairs
Institute for Community Living

Nicole Robinson-Etienne is the Vice President of Community and Government Affairs for the Institute for Community Living. She is considered an accomplished, versatile public relations professional with a stellar career history of leadership, advocacy, community engagement and development of public-private partnerships. A focused, driven leader, problem solver, and persuasive negotiator, Robinson-Etienne has demonstrated success propelling initiatives leading to substantial program support funding, constructive coalitions and alliances, and zoning changes.

Robinson-Etienne began her professional career as an immigration attorney in a small law practice working on asylum and family unification cases. Realizing her passion for public service, she later went on to work in various roles in government and non-profit sectors, including Special Counsel to former Assemblywoman Rhoda S. Jacobs, Senior Project Manager at the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Assistant Director of Government and Community Affairs at the New York Aquarium and Prospect Park Zoo.

In 2017, she joined Institute for Community Living (ICL), one of NYC’s largest human services agencies, as Vice President of Community and Government Affairs and Director of the Clergy, Clinician, Community Collaboration (4C) for Mental Health Awareness designed to address and mitigate the stigma of mental health in communities of color.

A first-generation Caribbean-American of Vincentian descent, born and raised in Brooklyn, Robinson-Etienne graduated with a BA from Fordham University, a JD from Northeastern University School of Law, and is an alumna of the Coro Leadership NY 25 program. Her parents, Naomi and George Robinson, are from St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Her mother was a nurse at Kingstown General Hospital, (now Milton Cato General Hospital) and her father was a Corporal at the Royal St. Vincent Police Force before immigrating to America in 1970. Robinson-Etienne has been residing in Brooklyn with her husband Emmanuel and 2 daughters, Arielle and Dominique. She has been volunteering as a Girl Scout leader and Board Member of Jewish Community Council of Greater Coney Island and East Flatbush Village.