Nikki Geiszler

Executive Director / Staff

Nikki Geiszler serves as Executive Director for the Montana World Affairs Council, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to global education and international engagement across Montana. Since joining the Council in 2017, Nikki has helped dramatically expand its reach and impact. During the fiscal year 2024-2025 alone, she led a team of just 2.5 people to organize 158 programs across the state, including speaker events, classroom programs, and international affairs initiatives. Under her leadership, the Montana Academic WorldQuest competition has grown into the largest local competition in the country with over 500 high school students attending annually.

Nikki brings a strong passion for youth education, with a deep commitment to ensuring all students across Montana - no matter their location - are aware of the opportunities available to them. She works to make sure teachers have not only the resources they need, but the ones they want, and is dedicated to ensuring all communities, including the most rural, are part of the conversation and feel valued, included, and empowered.

Beyond her work with the Council, Nikki leads programming for the Montana Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business Summit, serves on the planning committee for the Montana Festival, and serves as Treasurer of the Montana High Tech Business Alliance Foundation. She is also a proud member of Montana Ambassadors, contributing to statewide efforts that advance economic development, collaboration, and opportunity across Montana.

Originally from Florida, Nikki earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Classical Studies from the University of Florida. During her undergraduate studies, she worked on archaeological field projects in Ireland and Florida, including the Medieval Roads Project in Athlone and research at Kingsley Plantation. She moved to Missoula in 2013 to pursue her M.A. in Anthropology at the University of Montana, specializing in childhood studies and cross-cultural socialization practices. Today, Nikki calls Missoula home, where she lives with her husband and their two children.

To Connect Nikki Geiszler:

Listen to Nikki's interview with Marcell Bruski on "Empowering Montana Students Through Global Learning. " Energetic, driven, and constantly moving forward, Nikki makes the case for why “Montana’s potential is unstoppable” and why global opportunity should reach every classroom in the state.