Nikki Stephens is a Bonham, Texas, native. She graduated from Tarleton State University with a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice. She studied abroad at Kings College in London as part of her graduate studies. In 1994, she graduated with a Master of Science in sociology from Texas A&M – Commerce. Nikki worked in juvenile and adult probation before being hired by the U.S. Probation Office in the Eastern District of Oklahoma in 1997. She transferred to the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman Division, in 1999.

During Nikki’s tenure as a federal probation officer, she has served as a supervisor, an assistant deputy, and a deputy. In November 2023, the U.S. District Judges for the Eastern District of Texas unanimously selected Nikki to serve as the Chief U.S. Probation Officer. The Federal Judiciary has provided Nikki numerous opportunities to participate in trainings and to facilitate trainings. She is a graduate of the FJC’s Leadership Development Program. Some of the trainings she participated in include Leadership Lessons from Lincoln at Gettysburg, Leadership Lessons from Antietam, and Women in Criminal Justice. She served for three years on the National Presentence Working Group in Washington DC. Nikki has traveled to multiple districts across the country as a Code of Conduct – Ethics trainer for the Federal Judiciary. She was the first female firearms instructor in her district, serving in this role from 2003-2009. In her community, Nikki has served as a board member of the Grayson County Child Welfare Board from 2005 through 2009, and again from 2016 through 2021.