Hamilton County Juvenile Court Clerk Gary D. Behler Appointed to Tennessee Human Rights Commission Board of Commissioners

(NASHVILLE, TN- October 2017)- Gary D. Behler, Juvenile Court Clerk of Hamilton County, has been appointed to fill the East Tennessee region vacancy on the Board of Commissioners. He will fulfill the remainder of Commissioner Chrystal Horne’s term until 2019.

Mr. Behler began his career as a Regional Planner with Hamilton County Government in the County Development Office.  He then spent 10 years working in adult corrections as Corrections Coordinator, Assistant Warden and Administrator, including management of a Bureau of Prisons Community Reentry Center in North Carolina.  He later served as Program Services Director for Bethel Bible Village children’s home in Hixson for over 16 years before becoming the Operations Director for First Things First, a Chattanooga non-profit focused on reducing teen pregnancy, strengthening families and increasing fatherhood.

Gary has served as the Juvenile Court Clerk in Hamilton County since he was elected in 2010.  He has focused on implementing a complete technology overhaul of that office, transitioning from a traditional paper to an electronic workflow system, including electronic file management and digital recording in all seven courtrooms. All functions of that office are now managed electronically.  In 2016 the County Technical Assistance Service identified his office as the first state court clerk’s office to be fully electronic in the state of Tennessee.

Mr. Behler graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.  While working full-time in corrections he completed his Master’s Degree with honors.  He is currently in his 27th year serving as an Adjunct Professor in Criminal Justice for UTC, focusing on both institutional and community corrections classes.

Gary has been married for 35 years to Jamie Barnett Behler, a kindergarten teacher at the Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts, a National Blue Ribbon magnet school.  They have two adult children. 

The Commission’s role, by means of enforcement and education, is to safeguard the citizens of Tennessee from discrimination in the areas of employment, housing, and public accommodations in regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, disability, age, national origin, and familial status.

For more information on the THRC, including its role, policies, or the laws that govern the agency, call 1-800-251-3589 or visit the agency’s website at www.tn.gov/humanrights.

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