Jesse Wilson assumed office as Nevada County’s new district attorney Monday morning, taking the oath of office in a ceremony held in the Nevada County Board of Supervisors chambers.

In a brief comment to public officials, members of the public, and his own family gathered to witness the ceremony, Wilson said that he “looks forward to faithfully and dutifully serving all of you,” adding that the process culminating in his selection for the office last month had been “both long and exciting.”

Wilson was selected by the Board of Supervisors to become the interim district attorney in a 3-to-2 vote last month. He narrowly beat out Colusa County District Attorney Matthew Beauchamp, as well as former Assistant District Attorney Chris Walsh, for the office.

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Wilson succeeds 15-year District Attorney Cliff Newell, whose official last day in office was Sunday. Because Newell retired before his term was officially set to expire in 2022, Wilson must run for reelection next year to keep the job.

With Walsh having submitted his resignation last month, Wilson said Monday that finding a replacement for the role would be his “top priority” this week.

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“There’s lots of logistical things to be taken care of, meeting staff, administrative work…the assistant DA situation is definitely the top priority, though, and we’re going to be looking at a pool of candidates this week, narrowing it down,” he said.

Wilson declined to specify which specific candidates were being interviewed this week to succeed Walsh, and did not want to set a deadline for when the position would be filled, other than to emphasize that his office would move as quickly and efficiently as possible to fill the role.

Walsh resigned shortly after supervisors selected Wilson for the role, expressing that he did not think it would be “productive” for him to remain his assistant, due in part to a publicized record of disagreement between the two men over how the office should be run.

On Monday, local law enforcement leaders and officials congratulated Wilson on assuming office.

“The Grass Valley Police Department has enjoyed a strong working relationship with the Nevada County DA’s office in the past, and we look forward to building on our professional relationship moving forward under the leadership of Jesse Wilson,” said Police Chief Alex Gammelgard.

“We are excited about the opportunities for forward-thinking approaches to justice and community safety that can develop under Jesse’s new leadership role. The criminal and social justice issues facing our community today will require collaborative and innovative approaches as well as aggressive prosecution in the most egregious cases,” he added.

Stephen Wyer is a staff writer with The Union, a sister publication to the Sierra Sun. He can be reached at swyer@theunion.com