Gov. Bredesen Names Gayle Ray as Commissioner of Corrections

Last week, Governor Phil Bredesen appointed Gayle Ray to be the next Commissioner of the Department of Correction. Ray will assume her new role on January 1, 2010, following the departure of current Correction Commissioner George Little, who announced he will leave Bredesen's cabinet on December 31 to become chief administrative officer for newly-elected Memphis Mayor AC Wharton. Ray currently serves as deputy commissioner in the Department of Correction. She served as Davidson County sheriff from 1994 to 2002.