Nikki Haley - Early Life, Education and Career

Early Life, Education and Career

Haley was born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa in Bamberg, South Carolina, on January 20, 1972, to an Indian Sikh family. Her parents, Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa, are immigrants from Amritsar District, Punjab, India. She has two brothers, Mitti and Charan, and a sister, Simran. Haley is a graduate of Orangeburg Preparatory Schools, and Clemson University with a B.S. in accounting. She worked for FCR Corporation, a waste management and recycling company, before joining her mother's business, Exotica International, an upscale clothing firm, in 1994. The family business grew to become a multi-million dollar company.

Haley was named to the board of directors of the Orangeburg County Chamber of Commerce in 1998. She was named to the board of directors of the Lexington Chamber of Commerce in 2003. Haley became treasurer of the National Association of Women Business Owners in 2003 and president in 2004. She chaired the Lexington Gala to raise funds for the local hospital. She also serves on the Lexington Medical Foundation, Lexington County Sheriff's Foundation, West Metro Republican Women, President of the South Carolina Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, Chairman for 2006 Friends of Scouting Leadership Division campaign and is a member of the Rotary Club in Lexington.

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