Passionate about cities in general and his hometown of Memphis in particular, Nicholas left home for a number of years in search of lessons on the topic of great cities. This pursuit of knowledge and experience rewarded him with a Master of Urban Planning degree from Texas A&M University, four years of life and employment in Germany at the Federal Ministry of Transportation, the Rhine-Ruhr Transit Association, and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, and one year as a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow engaged in advancing sustainable transportation. Having returned home, he assumed the role of Bikeway and Pedestrian Program Manager with the City of Memphis in 2016, and with it the responsibility to improve the local conditions for walking and bicycling.