NASHVILLE (AP) — Tennessee Department of Correction Commissioner Tony Parker will serve as the president of the American Correctional Association.

The state department says Parker was sworn in during a virtual ceremony Saturday to become the first Tennessee correction commissioner to lead the national organization in its 151-year history.

Parker will serve in the role for the next two years. He said he plans to focus on initiatives to enhance safety, improve public perception and understanding of corrections, offer correctional staff higher educational opportunities, expand behavioral health training, and expand technology use for rehabilitation and training.