An officer of the Chi Phi fraternity at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), Joseph Nicolla earned a bachelor of science in civil engineering from the school in 1979 and, that same year, began working as a project manager with The Pyramid Companies in Syracuse, New York. Throughout his two years with the company, Joseph Nicolla managed contractual agreements, worked with appropriate trade partners and suppliers to optimize buying power, and provided financial oversight for the development of a pair of regional mall projects.

From 1981 to 1987, Joseph Nicolla worked as a project manager with The Edgewater Companies, where he managed 20 workers in development efforts for more than 1 million square feet of office space for IBM. Since 1988, Nicolla has served as partner of Columbia Development Companies and been primarily concerned with redevelopment projects in Albany. Endeavors of note include transforming a vacant section of the city into a vibrant area that includes the Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan headquarters, as well as numerous bank buildings and commercial offices.

For his dedication to the City of Albany, Nicolla was given the James M. DiNapoli Award by the Downtown Albany Business Improvement District in 2015. He is also a recipient of the Boy Scouts of America's Distinguished Citizen Award for his work with the Twin Rivers Council. Additionally, he is a supporter of numerous national nonprofits, including the American Cancer Society and JDRF.