Undersheriff Robyn Nichols was among the dozen community leaders recognized in the new class of Living Legends of Alexandria. On November 12, Sheriff Sean Casey and several members of the Sheriff’s Office attended a ceremony celebrating the 2025 Living Legends where other honorees included Mary Lee Anderson, Executive Director of Senior Services of Alexandria, and Ana Bonilla Galdamez, an Alexandria City Public Schools social worker, both of whom the Sheriff’s Office frequently partner with to support our community.

Undersheriff Nichols began her career in Alexandria in 1986 with the Alexandria Police Department where she became an officer, narcotics investigator, and then a sergeant, serving for much of her career overseeing violent crime and narcotics investigations. She worked closely with survivors, victims’ families, and witnesses earning their trust and offering compassion in moments of deep trauma. Years later, some of those she helped continued to reach out, grateful for the care and respect she showed them. And even some individuals she once arrested later sought her out to share that they had overcome addiction and turned their lives around, crediting her fairness and encouragement.

After retiring from the Police Department in 2014, Nichols brought her extensive experience to the Alexandria Sheriff’s Office as a captain under Sheriff Dana Lawhorne. Drawing on her strong community ties, she worked to enhance the office’s visibility and connection with residents, regularly participating in outreach and engagement events. She led the implementation of the Office’s first digital policy and accreditation platform, modernizing operations and improving accountability. Promoted to chief deputy in 2019, Nichols played a vital role when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the following year. She coordinated testing and monitoring for inmates and staff, working closely with the Alexandria Health Department to maintain safety in the detention center during an unprecedented public health crisis.

In 2022, following Sheriff Sean Casey’s election, she was appointed undersheriff, becoming the first woman in Alexandria history to hold that title. Under her direction, the Sheriff’s Office achieved its first-ever Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) certification in 2024, following a rigorous independent audit and marking a milestone in the Office’s commitment to safety and human dignity.

Today, Undersheriff Nichols stands as the longest-serving active law enforcement officer in Alexandria and the longest-serving female law enforcement officer in the City’s public safety history. In a profession long dominated by men, she has often led teams composed entirely or predominantly of male officers, and she takes pride in seeing how the profession has evolved. The Alexandria Sheriff’s Office now counts women as roughly one-third of its sworn ranks, progress built on the foundations that trailblazers like Undersheriff Nichols helped to create.

Through every role she has held – officer, investigator, mentor, leader, and now Undersheriff – Robyn Nichols has exemplified the ideals of duty and service. Her record of dedication, courage, and compassion has made Alexandria not only safer, but stronger.

The Sheriff’s Office is proud to see Undersheriff Nichols join retired Sheriff Lawhorne and Chaplain Myron Contee as Living Legends of Alexandria.