Volunteer Honored for Older Americans Month

The Oneida County Office for the Aging & Continuing Care presented its 2024 Outstanding Older Citizen Award to Nancy Nicholl today as part of National Older Americans Month.

Nicholl, a retired Oneida County Sheriff’s Deputy and School Resource Officer, was nominated for the award by Copper City Community Connection, where she volunteers in the Social Adult Day Program. She helps organize numerous activities for special occasions and holidays and also provides supplies for many of the activities herself.

“Nancy’s goal is to bring people together and make them happy,” said County Executive Anthony J. Picente Jr. “She originally became associated with Copper City Community Connection through her father in order to provide him an opportunity to participate in activities and make new friends. Now there is never a dull moment when she is there, bringing smiles to all.”

Nicholl retired from her full-time role as a Deputy Sheriff at the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office on November 22, 2017, and then returned as a Special Patrol Officer on September 3, 2018. She fully transitioned into retirement on July 17, 2022. During her 30-year career as a Deputy, Nicholl helped pioneer a volunteer-based Elder Abuse Prevention Program known as TRIAD. Through this initiative, she worked together with the Oneida County Office for the Aging to provide community education and prevention against elder abuse and neglect.

She has taken advantage of her retirement to become more involved in helping her family and community.

"I learned the importance of giving back to the community through my parents,” Nicholl said. “I am now able to pay that learning back to my father and his friends at Copper City.”

Older Americans Month is celebrated nationally each May. The theme established this year by the Administration for Community Living is “Powered by Connections.” This is the first time Oneida County has conducted its annual award ceremony since 2019.

“Ms. Nicholl recognizes the importance of social connections among Oneida County residents,” said Michael Romano, Deputy Commissioner of the Oneida County Department of Family & Community Services. “She exemplifies how essential it is for our Oneida County community to care about and for each other, as well as recognize the contributions of older adults.”