Ed Risler, a University of Georgia School of Social Work professor, has been elected by unanimous vote to serve as chairman of the board for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice.

Risler has served on the board for the last eight years.

In his years of service on the board, Risler has been instrumental in petitioning for accreditation for the department's educational programs by two national organizations, the Southern Association of Colleges and the Correctional Eduation Association Association.

The board is responsible for establishing the general policy for the Department of Juvenile Justice. The board is responsible for providing educational programs to as many as 3,000 youth held in one of the 28 correctional facilities throughout the state.