Gary D. Behler
The County Officials Association of Tennessee (COAT) announced Mr. Gary D. Behler, Juvenile Court Clerk for Hamilton County, as COAT’s 2023 State Court Clerk of the Year. Mr. Behler received this award at COAT's annual conference in November.
Mr. Behler has served as the Juvenile Court Clerk in Hamilton County since elected in 2010. He has embraced the role of Change Agent, focused on implementing a complete technology overhaul of that office, transitioning from a traditional paper-driven process to an electronic workflow system. His office has now digitized over 8.6 million pages of documents during this conversion. Their court features an integrated data management system including electronic file management in both the Main and Child Support Court Divisions including all seven courtrooms. In February, 2018 the County Technical Assistance Service recognized this office as the first fully electronic state court clerk’s office in Tennessee. Their e-Filing system, implemented in 2022, was one of the first to serve juvenile courts in Tennessee.
Mr. Behler is a board member and the immediate Past-President of the Tennessee State Court Clerk’s Association and former Legislative Chair (3-years). He also serves on the Board of Directors of the County Officials Association of Tennessee (COAT). In July he began a two-year term as Board Chairman of the Hamilton County Children’s Advocacy Center. He recently concluded his term on the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, having been appointed by Governor Bill Haslam and reappointed by Governor Bill Lee.
Mr. Behler graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Criminal Justice from UT-Chattanooga in 1980 and received his M.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors in 1990 from UTC. He is a Certified Public Administrator (CPA) as well as a Certified County Financial Officer (CCFO). He has served as an Adjunct Professor of Criminal Justice at UT-Chattanooga for 33 years.
He and his wife Jamie, a rock star kindergarten teacher at the Chattanooga School for Liberal Arts, live in Georgetown, with the wonder dogs, Jack and Coby. They are active members of Bayside Baptist Church in Harrison, where Gary serves as a Deacon. They have two adult children-Brittany, a fifth grade teacher in Chattanooga and Jared, a worship pastor for Compassion Christian Church in Statesboro, Ga.
Each year, the Tennessee State Court Clerk’s Association is charged with selecting a State Court Clerk of the Year. Mr. Behler was selected from a pool of every State Court Clerk in the State. COAT Executive Director, Rodney Archer said, “Gary has demonstrated his dedication to our Association, Hamilton County, and the State of Tennessee. He has been a tremendous asset to COAT through the years and I cannot think of a better candidate to receive this award.”
The County Officials Association of Tennessee is a prominent advocate, voice, and resource for county officials from all counties across the state of Tennessee. COAT membership is comprised of state court clerks, county clerks, registers of deeds, and county trustees in Tennessee. The Association was founded in 1968 and continues to be a strong support for local government.