Dr. John Payne

Senior federal leader and honorably retired Army Veteran with over 30 years of experience leading enterprise-level programs, organizational transformation initiatives, and cross-functional teams across civilian federal agencies and the U.S. Army. Expert in enterprise program management, policy integration, internal controls, risk mitigation, executive reporting, and workforce training.

Proven record of advising senior leadership, managing complex portfolios, and driving mission-aligned outcomes in highly regulated environments.

Deputy Director / Lead Management and Program Analyst at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) (2023-12 – 2025-09)

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (GS-0343-14)

• Served as enterprise program lead for planning, execution, communication, training, and sustainment of department-wide civil rights, data, and records management initiatives.
• Provided authoritative recommendations on program execution, policy interpretation, and process improvement affecting agency compliance and risk posture.
• Developed and delivered executive-level briefings translating complex data into actionable insights for senior leadership decision-making.
• Led and supervised multidisciplinary teams of 10 federal employees and 5 contractors, delegating technical authority and ensuring accountability for deliverables.
• Coordinated with internal and external stakeholders to integrate policy requirements, test internal controls, mitigate operational risk, and conduct enterprise process reviews.
• Designed and oversaw workforce training programs to support organizational consistency and capability building.
• Prepared weekly executive reports supporting enterprise governance and leadership oversight.

Program Analyst at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (2014-09 – 2023-12)

(GS-0343-13)

• Supported enterprise-level planning, coordination, execution, training, and sustainment of department-wide initiatives within the Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) Program Management Office.
• Coordinated multiple multi-year, multi-million-dollar initiatives impacting onboarding, credentialing, and access management for over 800,000 users nationwide.
• Independently identified performance and operational issues through data collection and analysis; developed actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
• Applied performance analysis and Instructional Systems Design (ISD) to diagnose skill gaps and design targeted learning and performance solutions.
• Designed and delivered multi-modal training solutions, including Instructor Led Training, virtual classroom, self-paced eLearning, blended learning, and web-based instruction.
• Defined learning objectives and instructional strategies aligned with workforce needs, acquisition competencies, and organizational priorities.
• Analyzed workforce and program data to support acquisition career path development and enterprise onboarding and credentialing initiatives.
• Advised senior leaders and program executives on acquisition workforce development, training strategy, and performance risks.
• Managed a 14-project portfolio as Contracting Officer's Representative (COR), overseeing $2.4M in program assets.
• Provided oversight and support to develop requirements that met internal and external stakeholder needs.
• Supported agency-wide performance improvement and delivered enterprise training.
• Collaborated with program managers, technical teams, contractors, and stakeholders to align training, resources, schedules, and performance outcomes.
• Prepared executive briefings and analytical reports summarizing program status, risks, and training impacts.

Legal Administrative Specialist at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (2014-02 – 2014-09)

(GS-0901-07)

• Provided veterans' benefits guidance and conducted training needs assessments to design effective, outcomes-based instructional materials.

Operations Analyst at Ardelle Associates (Contractor – VA) (2012-10 – 2013-06)

• Conducted SDVOSB/VOSB compliance reviews, supported Congressional inquiries, and trained staff on VA verification processes.

Doctor of Education in Applied Learning Sciences – University of Miami (2023-12)

Master of Business Administration in MBA – University of Phoenix (2008-06)

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration – Columbia Southern University (2004-05)