He has represented American Atheists many times in the media, including appearances on the Fox News programs Spirited Debate, Hannity, and Fox and Friends. He has created innovative advocacy and visibility campaigns, including AtheistVoter, and has developed messaging and strategy around American Atheists’ legal, public policy, and outreach campaigns.

Board Chairman Neal Cary praised the Board of Directors’ decision. “In my time working with Nick, it’s become clear that he is a tireless advocate who is creative, passionate, and committed to creating a broad coalition in the fight to protect real religious freedom in America,” he said. “He knows the issues our community faces inside and out. I’ve been especially impressed by his commitment to building a team of activists who share his vision and dedication to the mission of American Atheists. I am confident Nick will be a great leader of this organization and a champion for our community’s values of equality, inclusion, and reason as we move forward.”

Born and raised in rural Michigan, Nick was adopted by his parents, a public-school teacher and a mechanic, as an infant. Religion was never more than an afterthought in his early life, even during his years as an active member of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). His troop met at a local public school, and his leaders brushed aside the more overtly religious elements of BSA programming.

But in the 1990s, BSA became ensnared in controversies around its membership practices, specifically the exclusion of gay scouts and leaders.

“I remember thinking how unfair and how hypocritical it was,” said Fish. “Here were kids who just wanted to make friends and go camping. And they were being excluded simply because of the bigotry of some of the Boy Scout leaders.

“The most frustrating and discordant part was the religious justification for the discrimination. My experience as a Boy Scout had been essentially secular. I never had to profess a belief in God. My leaders told me that all that was required was a belief in something bigger than myself, so I chose to believe in the dignity of all people. And yet they were denying that dignity to some people simply because of sexual orientation.”

In 2000, the United States Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 decision in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale that the BSA had a constitutional right to ban gay scouts from its ranks.

“I was at summer camp when the Dale decision was announced,” said Fish. “Counselors were joking about distributing t-shirts with ‘5-4’ printed on them. I spent the next four hours arguing with one of them about the ban until he ended the conversation by threatening to “talk to” my troop leaders. They were so cavalier about the struggles and rights of our fellow scouts, and it disgusted me. It was the first time I saw just how divisive religious dogma could be.”

Before joining American Atheists, Fish worked as a canvass director during the 2008 election season in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he registered voters and managed voter-contact and persuasion campaigns for MoveOn.org and the League of Conservation Voters in support of Barack Obama and Democratic candidates for governor and senate. After the election, he managed small-donor fundraising campaigns for a variety of progressive political and advocacy groups, and was responsible for raising more than $5 million and contacting more than 400,000 donors.

“The common thread running through so many of the issues I was passionate about was religious privilege,” he said. “Whether LGBTQ rights, access to reproductive healthcare, environmental policy, or public education, religion was being wielded as a weapon in the arena of public policy. I wanted to fight these issues at their core.”