The Metropolitan Drug Commission is proud to announce Scott Payne as its newest executive director.
Payne states, “If you want to discover what a community needs, find out what its pain is.” Payne has almost a decade of experience in crisis center management and prevention work. Most recently, Payne served as the East Tennessee Coordinator for Tennessee Suicide Prevention Network. This is where Payne began to develop a passion for understanding the importance of preventing substance abuse.
“Working to prevent suicide throughout East Tennessee has been rewarding. However, the opportunity to work with an agency with the reputation of Metropolitan Drug Commission was too enticing to pass up. I feel fortunate to be the next executive director at MDC, and I look forward to years of leading this wonderful team as we fulfill the mission of our agency,” Payne said.
A Knoxville native, Payne cares for the wellbeing of his community. He has served as a board member for the Tennessee Alliance of Information Systems and Circle Center Consulting. Payne looks forward to getting involved with different organizations that align with the MDC mission.
MDC Board President, Keith Goodwin adds, “The board is thrilled to have Scott join the MDC team. He will be a wonderful asset to our organization.”
Payne holds a Masters of Divinity from Vanderbilt University. Prior to that, Payne received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.