Ms. Susan Nichols began her career with the Federal government in the US Army Corps of Engineers.  In the Corps of Engineers she worked in the Civil Works Dredging Division and the US Army Engineering and Housing Support Center (EHSC) where she became a DA Intern under the Comptroller career program in 1990.  

During her participation in this program, she attended resource management and budget courses at the US Army Management Engineering College, US Army Finance School, US Army Logistics Management College, Center for Army Leadership and OPM.  She completed developmental assignments in budget and manpower functions at the EHSC; HQDA Staff Programming Division; Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel (DCSPER); MACOM Staff Manpower Management Division, US Army Corps of Engineers; Fort Belvoir Garrison, Resource Management Office in the budget, manpower and finance and accounting sections; and the Humphreys Engineer Center Support Activity finance and accounting office. She graduated from the DA Intern Program in 1993 and continued her career with the US Army Center for Public Works, Resource Management Office as a Budget Analyst.  Ms. Nichols was selected for a Budget Analyst position in the Resource Management Office in 1994 and selected for a Program Analyst position in the Technical Plans and Programs Office at the Topographic Engineering Center in 1998.  This is when she first became involved with the Army SBIR program as one of her duties.  She continued in this position until 2001, when the Corps of Engineers laboratories underwent reorganization.