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Governor Nathan Deal - Georgia’s 82nd Governor (2011-2019)

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Home » Press Releases » Deal announces Pardons and Paroles board appointment

Deal announces Pardons and Paroles board appointment

June 16, 2016

Gov. Nathan Deal today announced the appointment of Jacqueline Bunn to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, effective July 1. Bunn, executive director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC), will fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Albert R. Murray. Jay Neal, criminal justice liaison for the CJCC, will serve as interim director.

“Jacqueline and Jay are two very qualified individuals for these leadership positions within the State Board of Pardons and Paroles and the CJCC,” said Deal. “They bring with them a myriad of experience working directly with Georgia’s criminal justice system. I am confident that they will continue to advance criminal justice reform efforts within the state of Georgia and I look forward to working with each of them in their new roles.”

   Jacqueline Bunn
Bunn is licensed to practice law in all of the state and federal courts in Georgia and New Jersey. She began her career with the state of Georgia in 1997 as an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Section for the Georgia Department of Law. In December of 2006, she served as Deputy Director in the Legal Services Unit of the Georgia Department of Public Safety. Bunn was appointed by Deal to serve as the Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in 2013. She was recently selected for the Henry Toll Fellowship Program Class of 2016 and currently serves on the State Bar of Georgia's Promoting Inclusion in the Profession committee. Bunn is also a member of the Georgia Bar Journal editorial board. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism and her law degree from the University of Georgia.

   Jay Neal
Neal was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 2004 and served until being appointed by Deal as Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Transition, Support, and Reentry in 2013. In September 2015, Jay joined the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council as the Criminal Justice Liaison. He is known for his work in spearheading criminal justice reform in Georgia. Neal serves his local community through Lookout Mountain Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the SAGE Resource Center and YOBEL House. He and his wife, Gretchen, have two children and six grandchildren. They reside in LaFayette.