WILBER – Southeast District One State Probation has a new chief officer.
Ashley Griess was sworn into the office Monday morning, by Saline County District Judge Vicky Johnson.


Griess joined state probation in 2011 and in January, 2017, rose to the rank of Chief Deputy Probation Officer. She served as a Specialized Probation Officer and Interstate Compact Specialist, before being promoted to the top position in district one in September. She will now oversee 42 staff members in the district, which serves several southeast Nebraska counties.


"I want to make a difference to help make an impact on the clients, the victims and the families we serve in a positive way....to help support the staff who work day in, day out with the clients, who are helping these clients to be successful, through skill building", said Griess.


Judge Johnson urged state probation officials to maintain good communication with judges in the district, especially with the duties of probation having grown in recent years.
Judge Johnson said, "We don't see our officers as much as we would like. So I invite you, come see your judges, get to know us, meet us for lunch, meet us for coffee...it's a really good relationship to have. We need to be able to trust the recommendations that you give us because, we're doing some kind of scary things now....putting some people on the street that we used to throw in prison. And, we need to have very, very good information from you".


The Chief Probation Officers of other districts attended the ceremony in the Saline County District Courtroom, along with Judge Curtis Maschmann and prosecutors and other attorneys.


Ashley Griess is originally from Sutton, Nebraska. Her husband Lane is a Farm Operations Supervisor for KC Farms, in Sutton. The couple have two children, six-year-old Cooper and three-year-old Zoey.