NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — The town of Normal is recognizing a former council member as the town’s 2025 Citizen of the Year.
Mayor Chris Koos recognized Adam Nielsen during the town’s annual appreciation reception on Tuesday, town spokesperson Cathy Oloffson said. He was elected to the council in 2001 and served for 12 years.
In 2023, Nielsen was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and began to advocate for the Alzheimer’s Association as a person living with the disease.
“Throughout his career, Adam Nielsen represented the town of Normal, the state of Illinois and national organizations in Washington, D.C. Now, he’s doing the same for people and families living with Alzheimer’s,” Koos said. “I honor his commitment to serving our local community. However, today, I recognize Adam as the 2025 Town of Normal Citizen of the Year for his dedication to ending Alzheimer’s and representing people across the country.”
Nielsen currently serves on the Illinois Department of Public Health Alzheimer’s Disease Advisory Committee, which helps provide policy and service recommendations to the health department.
“Adam’s commitment to serving on the IDPH advisory committee and as an ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Association plays a crucial role in shaping public health strategies and responses to Alzheimer’s disease at the state and national level,” Koos said. “So many people benefit from this invaluable work to support research funding and advance bipartisan legislation. Just as he used to be a champion for the town of Normal, Adam is now a champion for people and families impacted by Alzheimer’s. I commend his work and am proud of his dedication.”
Nielsen began his career as a reporter for WJBC-AM Radio in Bloomington in 1986, and later worked as a reporter and Bloomington-Normal Bureau Chief for WEEK-TV from 1994 to 2000.
He then began to work at the Illinois Farm Bureau. First as the director of Issue Management, and later as the director of National Legislation & Policy Development, where he would advocate for the Bureau’s policies at the state and federal levels. He retired in 2023.
Oloffson said Nielsen also often gives back to organizations dedicated to alleviating hunger, including the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Midwest Food Bank, State Farm Million Meal Pack, Safe Harbor Shelter and the Back To School Alliance.
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