Barrett Rich Newest Member of State Parole Board

Nashville -- A former state representative is beginning a new career in public service as a Board Member at the Tennessee Board of Parole. Gov. Bill Haslam announced the appointment of Barrett Rich to the Board in August, but it could only take effect after Rich’s term in the legislature ended on November 4.

Board Chairman Richard Montgomery said, “We are pleased to welcome Mr. Rich to the Board of Parole. His commitment to the people of Tennessee is evidenced through his prior experience in public service. I am confident he will make a positive contribution to the work of this agency.”

Rich, a native of Fayette County, is a former member of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. He worked as a road trooper, as well as on the Governor’s Security Detail for former Governors Bredesen and Sundquist. He has also worked as an insurance agent for the Tennessee Farm Bureau. Rich is a graduate of Bethel College (now Bethel University) in McKenzie, and received his Juris Doctorate from the Nashville School of Law.

In 2008, Rich was elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 94th District. He was chosen by his colleagues as Freshman Class President and Republican Assistant Floor Leader in the 106th General Assembly. His terms in the 107th and 108th General Assemblies included service as Republican Majority Whip, Vice Chairman of the Government Operations Committee and Chairman of the Health Sub-Committee. He was a member of the Judiciary Committee, the Health Committee, the Criminal Justice Committee and the Ethics Committee. He had also served as a member of the state POST (Peace Officers Standards and Training) Commission.

Rich has been a volunteer in his home county through Fayette Cares, the Fayette County Board of the Chamber of Commerce, the Somerville Rotary and the Pastoral Parish Relations Committee of the First United Methodist Church in Somerville. “Public service is a family tradition,” he said, noting that his mother worked for the State of Tennessee for 38 years.

Rich’s appointment to the Parole Board is effective from November 5, 2014 through December 31, 2019.