Joseph A. Greco is the Juvenile Probation Officer of the Year.

The Carbon County native received the award Nov. 7, during the 33rd Annual Juvenile Court Judges' Commission and Pennsylvania Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers Awards Program, held at the Harrisburg Hilton and Towers."I was deeply honored," Greco said recently. "I was surprised. It is an honor to be recognized by your peers and coworkers."He noted that after receiving the award, a colleague pointed out that there are approximately 1,700 juvenile probation officers in the state."It's nice to see that my coworkers feel I am worthy of this," Greco added, noting that he attributes his success in the field to teamwork and good coworkers.Greco was nominated for the award by fellow probation officer Janelle Balliet.In her nomination letter, Balliet highlighted Greco's dedication to the county and to the children he monitored."Throughout his years of service, he has continually proven that he is capable of handling anything that is given to him," she wrote. "He has earned the respect of many of the youths he supervises by showing them respect, which many of them have never received in their home environment and he does not think of them as just another juvenile offender."He provides a sense of stability and guidance to these youth and wants them to become successful adults."Balliet also said that in addition to his dedication to the children, Greco is an active volunteer, serving as the assistant fire chief in the Lansford Fire Company; is a certified instructor in CPR and First Aid; is active as a Little League/T-ball coach and knee-high football coach; referees high school football; is the treasurer of the No. 9 Coal Mine Museum in Lansford; serves as a Eucharistic minister at St. Katharine Drexel Church, Lansford; and is a member of the County Animal Response Team.Greco is also a fire academy instructor and secretary of the Carbon County Fire Chiefs' Association."With so many things that this officer is doing for others, he continues to remain humble and does not ask for anything in return," Balliet concluded. "He is an enormous influence to everyone around him, and most of all is an outstanding influence to his children ... If more people on this planet would think about others such as this officer does, life would be a little bit easier for all of us."Greco has been employed with the Carbon County Juvenile Probation Office since 1995.He graduated from East Stroudsburg University in 1994, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in sociology and criminal justice. He went on to graduate from the graduate education program in administration of justice at Shippensburg University in 1999.During the last 19 years, he has seen hundreds of children through his work and made a difference in their lives. Currently, he is a probation officer II and supervises a caseload of approximately 25 juveniles.Greco and his wife, Mary Ellen, reside in Lansford with their three children, Anthony, 14; Thomas, 11; and Lucy, 7."I want to thank my family, coworkers and the Carbon County court system for all of their support throughout my career," Greco said. "Dealing with juveniles provides me with more of a chance to help improve their lives and make an impact on them."