NORWICH – The Chenango County Sheriff’s Office singled out the “above and beyond” contributions of employees at its 18th Annual Award Ceremony honoring patrol, corrections and civil division personnel.

The sheriff honored officers at a dinner dinner held at the agency’s offices in Norwich before a crowd of over 100 people last week.

The office’s top honor, the Joseph J. Benenati Jr. award, was presented to Chief Civil Clerk Patricia J. Collier. Collier was hired in 1973 by Sheriff Benenati at the time and will be retiring in 2010 after serving the public more than 37 years.

Sheriff Ernest R. Cutting Jr. said Collier earned the award for her career achievements and outstanding performance in handling the agency’s civil department.