Executive Director Chris Barnett was appointed to the position in August of 2015 after serving as Interim Director and guiding the Board through a significant reorganization as parolee supervision transitioned to the new Georgia Department of Community Supervision. Barnett’s focus remains on strengthening professional relationships with all stakeholders and continuing to inform Georgians about the executive clemency consideration process. 

Chris Barnett joined the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles in 2003 as a Parole Officer in the Marietta Parole District. Promotions to Senior Parole Officer, Assistant Chief Parole Officer, Field Operations Officer, Senior Field Operations Officer, and Statewide Program Manager followed. In May 2013, he was promoted to Regional Director, supervising all operations and parole districts within the Northeast Region. Barnett’s twenty-five-year law enforcement career began at the Fulton County Police Department as a Patrol Officer in 1999. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Master of Public Administration from Georgia Southern University.