In September, we had the opportunity to sit down with Paula Nickelson, a state retiree with 35 years of public service who continues to inspire change and help others in retirement.

Paula Nickelson has always been passionate about service. After earning her graduate degree in counseling psychology, she dedicated her career to helping others. She spent 20 years providing counseling to clients before transitioning to a role in public health with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).

When asked why she dedicated her career to the state of Missouri, Paula explained, “When I came to public health, I recognized the power of policy change, that you literally can change the trajectory of the health of an entire population with a policy change! It’s incredibly powerful.”

Paula ended her 35-year career with the state as director of DHSS. While serving in that role, she worked to create a state strategy that would expand residency programs for Missouri doctors. She also prioritized upgrading data and electronic platforms for the department following COVID, and brought The Leadership Challenge® (TLC), an evidence-based leadership model, to public health partners in state and local government. By mid-year 2026, DHSS will have facilitated training in that model to more than 350 public health leaders across the state.

After retiring in March 2025, Paula launched Impact Leader, a consulting firm offering leadership training across different industries. She explained how her career in service inspired her to pursue this initiative.

“To me, it's a logical progression from counseling one individual at a time to public policy that impacts an entire population, and now helping leaders become better leaders across multiple industries. It's a meaningful capstone to my career of serving fellow human beings, a way to have a lasting impact in our world,” she shared.

Although Paula stays busy helping others in retirement, she still makes time for new experiences. She started taking harp lessons a few years ago and has continued practicing on a custom-made harp she purchased after retiring. She was also recently certified in scuba diving and took her first ocean dive in Cozumel this past July. She is looking forward to diving in Roatan in early 2026.

“It's a transformational experience to dive at depth and see all the sea life and the coral reefs—almost a sacred experience. In Cozumel, on one dive, we swam into an area with a black stone wall on one side and a coral wall on the other side, both somewhere around 10 stories high. It was like entering a cathedral. My reaction was to pause and pray,” she explained.

When asked how her MOSERS benefits have impacted her retirement, Paula said, “It gives me the ability to wake up and know that today I may decide to take an impromptu trip with my husband or just relax by the lake and read and not have to worry about bringing in a salary or meeting deadlines. It's very comforting to know that you've worked a long time and that the benefit is there.”

As we finished our interview, Paula shared her approach to retirement and offered her advice to other retirees.

“I would encourage people to embrace aging as a multiplying factor and not as a limiting factor. I think that as one ages, one gains perspective and wisdom, as well as patience and empathy for other human beings. So just rejoice in aging and open yourself up to new experiences and sharing yourself. You are literally never too old to learn or experience something new!”

If you would like to participate in an upcoming retiree spotlight, please email amandah@mosers.org. We would love to feature your state service and retirement story!