Longtime veteran is sheriff’s new No. 2
First black woman to serve as undersheriff
FORT LAUDERDALE Col. Nichole Anderson, a 23-year veteran of the Broward Sheriff’s Office, took the reins Tuesday as the agency’s undersheriff — becoming the second in command to Sheriff Gregory Tony.
It marked yet one more milestone for Anderson, who has risen through the ranks through the years. She started as a road patrol deputy in September 1996, became captain and chief of the South Broward district in 2011, and was promoted to major in 2017. In January this year, she was promoted to the rank of colonel, and the agency celebrated how she’s also now the first African American woman serving as undersheriff.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the overwhelming support from the rank and file who felt Col. Anderson was the perfect candidate,” Tony said at a news conference Tuesday.
Anderson, 49, said she was humbled by the support of her peers and the sheriff. “There’s a change in roles and responsibilities but the mission is still clear,” she said. “Service: Service to the agency and service to the community that we serve.”
Anderson succeeds Col. Sean Zukowsky, who held the position for seven months until deciding to resign to care for his young children and his ailing wife. His last day is Friday.
“Col. Zukowsky’s absence will be felt, but I respect and support his decision to put his family first,” Tony said.
Tony rejected any talk that Zukowsky was departing over a disagreement about law-enforcement preparations for Hurricane Dorian. “His decision to resign took place over six weeks ago,” Tony said. “There has been zero disagreement about the hurricane or anything else.”
Zukowsky stepped up and acknowledged the talk of disagreements had come up a couple of times, but said the reality was it was too difficult to juggle the job and family concerns. Kalobe Williams died Christmas Eve 2016 in Boynton Beach.
“The impact of taking this [undersheriff ] position and the sacrifice required to do it right 100% of the time, it really came down to my two small children and my wife bearing more of that burden than was fair for them,” he said.
Anderson’s experience includes working as a field training deputy, supervising the agency’s recruitment division and holding the positions of executive officer to the sheriff and major in the community services department. Anderson received