[4] After the Bush administration ended, Nichols held positions with the Washington state Republican Party; as a senior aide for the late Rep. Jennifer Dunn and former Sen. Slade Gorton.

As assistant secretary, Nichols oversaw all public affairs for the department and led efforts to educate the American people about tax and currency policy, debt management, Social Security and Medicare financing, and international issues that impact the U.S.

Nichols relocated the organization to Washington, D.C., and worked to raise its profile, educating the public about the importance of robust capital markets, encouraging a competitive global marketplace, and shaping the national and international regulatory dialogue.

Time referred to the forum as "perhaps the country's most powerful trade association,"[5] Nichols is frequently cited by the news media on capital markets and financial services issues.

He was regularly quoted in publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times, and frequently appears on CNBC, Fox Business Network and Bloomberg.

But I also am increasingly concerned about the condition and policy challenges of smaller institutions — particularly community banks, an equally indispensable element of our financial system....

By improving the circumstances for community banks by way of substantial regulatory relief, we will not only ensure a more equitable playing field but also give our still-struggling economy a much-needed boost.[10].

[11] In May 2015, Nichols was named president and CEO of the American Bankers Association, the nation’s largest trade group representing banks of all sizes.

[17] “Our goal is to support candidates who understand and appreciate the critical role banks of all sizes play in the economy,” Nichols said, according to the Wall Street Journal.

[23] Nichols was also named to Washingtonian magazine's 2022 list of the 500 most influential people in Washington, which recognized him for "work[ing] to remove the IRS reporting provision from the House version of the Build Back Better plan.