BIOGRAPHY OF DJJ

COMMISSIONER AVERY D. NILES

After his appointment by Governor Nathan Deal in November 2012, Department of Juvenile
Justice Commissioner Avery D. Niles was sworn into office by the Governor, endorsed by a
unanimous vote of the DJJ Board. Today, Commissioner Niles leads a workforce of more
than 4,300 state juvenile correctional employees working in 26 facilities and 96 community
services offices engaged in the restorative justice of more than 13,000 Georgia youths.

With 30-plus years of distinguished law enforcement and criminal justice experience,
Commissioner Niles built his corrections career as Warden of the Hall County Correctional
Institute and Commander of the Hall County Detention Center. Niles spent more than 20
years in the Hall County Sheriff's Office where he rose through the line from Patrolman to
Sergeant in Juvenile Investigations; ranked First Lieutenant while serving as Assistant
Commander of Patrol Division; and served as Lieutenant in the Work Release/House Arrest
Division before assuming command of the adult detention center.

In 2011, Commissioner Niles was appointed to the Department of Juvenile Justice Board and
in 2012, was elected Chairman of the DJJ Board. Governor Deal has since appointed
Commissioner Niles to the Accountability Courts Funding Committee, Georgia’s Juvenile
Justice Incentive Grant Program Funding Committee, the Office of Child Advocate
Nominating Committee, the Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), and the
Department of Community Supervision Board. In 2014, Commissioner Niles was appointed
by Governor Deal as State Council Chairman of the Georgia State Council for Interstate
Juvenile Supervision. Also in 2014, Niles was nationally elected to the American Correctional
Association (ACA) Board of Governors, serving in the “Institutions” area. Commissioner
Niles serves as Chairman of the statewide grant funding committee for the Office of the
Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) and as a member of First Lady Sandra Deal’s
Children’s Executive Cabinet.

In 2016, Commissioner Niles was selected as a member of the 24th GILEE delegation to
Israel and elected by the class as spokesman for the law enforcement contingent on their
trip.

In June 2017, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta presented Commissioner Niles with the
‘Spirit of the League’ Community Partner Exemplar Award and in August 2017, Niles joined
the Juvenile Justice Leadership Network (JJLN). JJLN membership is sponsored by the
Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators to encourage the nation's top
professionals to engage other national leaders in the field with their commitment to juvenile
justice reforms. Members share their concepts, methods and successes for developing
progressive alternatives to replace the practice of institutionalizing juveniles in
state custody.

In December 2018, Commissioner Niles was appointed to the Council of Juvenile

Correctional Administrators Executive Board where he will Chair the Continuous Quality
Improvement and Outcome Measures Committee.

Earlier in 2019, Commissioner Niles led the Facility Superintendent Training Planning
Committee Meeting with the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators, was appointed
to the Correctional Definitions Committee of the American Correctional Association, and
completed the University of Georgia's Certified Public Manager program designed to
improve the quality and efficiency of government agencies through professional managers.

Commissioner Niles has served as 2nd Vice President of the Georgia Prison & Warden’s
Association and is active in the National Sheriff’s Association, the Peace Officers Association
of Georgia, the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Georgia Sheriff’s Association, and
F.C.A of Gainesville-Hall County.

A graduate of Columbus State University’s Georgia Law Enforcement Command College

(Class #52), Commissioner Niles is a strong proponent of continuing law enforcement
education. He is a graduate of the Georgia Police Academy, FBI National Academy, National
Association of Child Abuse Investigation, Internal Affairs Investigator Association, Georgia
Police Chief Executive Training, Georgia State Board of Funeral Services, and Leadership
Hall County.

Commissioner Niles resides in Gainesville with his wife Charlene, his daughter Brittani and
his god-daughter Jemiah. He is a Deacon at the Antioch Baptist Church and active with local
civic groups including United Way of Hall County and the Hall County Civic Association,
Gainesville College Foundation Board, the Gainesville Boys & Girls Club, Kiwanis Club of
Gainesville, and the Gainesville-Hall County Roundtable Association.