SALISBURY – The city announced this week that Assistant City Clerk Kimberly Nichols has been named the new Salisbury City Clerk.

“It gives me great pleasure on behalf of the entire Salisbury City Council and along with Mayor Jim Ireton to announce good news for the City of Salisbury, news that has not happened in 17 years,” Council President Terry Cohen said on Monday.

On March 19 in closed session, the council unanimously agreed to offer the position to Nichols, who is a certified municipal clerk. On March 20, details were finalized and the next day Nichols formally accepted the offer.

“From a very large pool of applicants Mrs. Nichols was selected for experience and reputation, highly tailored for the position,” Cohen said. “Not merely because of her institutional relationship to the city of Salisbury and to the Office of the City Clerk but because of her intense investment of self to a career as the city clerk through hard work and specialized education.”

Nichols has served the city of Salisbury for over 15 years, starting in the Finance Department, then to the Building, Housing and Zoning Department, then to the Mayor’s Office and then in 2005 she started in the City Clerk’s Office working as assistant to former City Clerk Brenda Colegrove.

On Tuesday, Nichols told The Dispatch that she didn’t envision herself becoming Salisbury City Clerk when she first started with the city.

“I guess all of the moves were kind of lateral until I got the assistant city clerk position … and this kind of seemed to be my niche,” she said.

From time to time, Colegrove would remind Nichols that her retirement was approaching. Nichols said that she was surprised when Colegrove announced her retirement in January.

Nichols filled Colegrove’s shoes as acting city clerk while the hiring process was being conducted. Nichols applied for the job along with many other candidates.

“I was [nervous] and I knew nothing,” Nichols said. “I guess because I was so busy doing the job I didn’t really have time to think about what was going on there, but I’m happy I got it.”

Nichols said she is busy but she couldn’t have had a better trainer than Colegrove. Nichols concluded that through the support of her daughter, Kate, and husband, Mike, she plans on sticking with being city clerk until she retires.

“I love it,” she said of her new position. “I was born and raised in Salisbury and went to school in Salisbury, I’ve been here for almost 50 years.”