James Mills of Hall County has been elected to lead the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
Board members elected Mills as chairman on Tuesday, according to a press statement, marking the first change in the leadership position in three years. Mills will assume the leadership role for FY 2018 on July 1, 2017.
Mills has served as vice-chairman for the past three years and succeeds Terry Barnard. Barnard was the first board member to serve more than two consecutive years as chairman since 2006.
“I want to first thank Terry Barnard for his excellent leadership these past three years. His experience, including his legislative background, has proven extremely valuable as our agency has completed necessary transitions resulting in a better prepared agency in order to meet challenges to public safety,” Mills said in the statement.
“Chairing this Board is an awesome responsibility and I say with confidence that we are an agency of caring and committed employees who are ready to ensure the Board Members continue receiving accurate data in order to keep the public safe through scientific data driven parole decisions,” said Mills.
Mills, who was appointed to the Parole Board in November of 2011, is a Hall County businessman who served 19 years in the Georgia legislature prior to being appointed to the Parole Board.
Board members elected Braxton Cotton as vice chairman for FY 2018. Cotton was appointed to the Board in November of 2013.
