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Sheriff Stacy Nicholson
Sheriff Stacy Nicholson and his wife, Stacie, live in the city of Ellijay. They are both members and regularly attend Friendship #3 Baptist Church in McCaysville.
The sheriff is 48 years old and will begin his 30th year of law enforcement with Gilmer Sheriff’s office in March of 2020. He was first elected as sheriff in 2004.
Sheriff Nicholson states, “I have devoted my entire adult life to serving and protecting the citizens of Gilmer County. I have never had the desire to pursue ANY job opportunity, professional or financial, that would take me away from serving the community in which I live. Instead, I developed the desire and vision of molding and leading this sheriff’s office to an agency that is second to none. In that, I have a lot of ‘blood, sweat and tears’ invested. We’re not perfect by any means, but we strive daily to provide Gilmer County citizens with the best sheriff’s office they can ask for. I have an excellent group of deputies and staff that have bought into my vision, and they work hard every day for us.”
On day one as sheriff, Nicholson began working on building strong relationships with the police chiefs of Ellijay and East Ellijay. The sheriff states, “Our agencies are small, respectively speaking. We all sometimes need each other for assistance. Cooperation starts at the top. If the sheriff and chiefs get along and are on the ‘same page,’ then the troops out there doing the job will, typically.” Sixteen years later, the working relationship between the sheriff’s office and police departments is strong.
In highlighting just a few of the agency’s accomplishments under Sheriff Nicholson, the sheriff’s office received its state certification in 2008, becoming only the 12th sheriff’s office in Georgia to achieve this “voluntary” distinction. The sheriff’s office is in its ninth year of offering a “totally transparent” view of their operation through their Citizens’ Law Enforcement Academy program. The office has a strong in-house training unit, as well as outside the agency training opportunities, focusing heavily on active-shooter response and crisis intervention training. Lastly, the sheriff’s office has just begun offering active-shooter response for citizens, specifically focusing on churches.
In highlighting some recent professional recognition and accomplishments, Sheriff Nicholson was elected by the sheriffs of the state of Georgia to serve as president of the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association for 2018-2019. Prior to that, he served for six years as regional vice president of the association. Most recently, he has been appointed as a district director for the Constitutional Officers’ Association of Georgia, representing a 14-county area of clerk of superior courts, probate judges, tax commissioners and sheriffs. Sheriff Nicholson states, “It is a huge honor to be respected by my elected peers to represent them in our associations second ONLY to the honor of being able to serve the citizens of Gilmer County as YOUR sheriff.”
Sheriff Nicholson concludes, “today’s law enforcement is ever changing, under scrutiny and sometimes even under attack. Leading a sheriff’s office is not for the ‘faint of heart.’ It is a fast-paced, stressful job with a lot of moving parts with 100-plus employees. I assure you that I am physically, mentally and health consciously ready to lead this team that I have assembled for whatever comes our way.
“The record of the sheriff’s office, under MY watch, I think, speaks for itself. Our goal is to address serious crime in a manner that might be a deterrent, using proactive versus reactive policing methods; but at the same time maintaining our small-town approach to interactions with our good citizens, both young and old.
“I would be honored to be YOUR Sheriff for the next four years and I humbly ask for your vote May 19.”