Brian Payne, New Assistant Director, Small Business Development

The City of Bloomington's Economic & Sustainable Development Department is pleased to welcome Brian Payne as its Assistant Director for Small Business Development. Brian begins his new role on May 22, 2017.

Brian's duties will include leading and coordinating a broad range of small business and entrepreneurship advocacy, retention and recruitment activities for the City and the Department to support the growth and sustainability of the small business and local economy. In addition, Brian will lead key major Departmental projects and, upon appointment, will serve as Executive Director of the Bloomington Urban Enterprise Association.

Brian is a career public servant who comes to the City of Bloomington with broad experience working for the federal government. Most recently, Brian served as a Policy Advisor in the Obama Administration, liaising with Congress and public stakeholders on priority legislative and behavioral health policy issues for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Prior to that, Brian was a Legislative Counsel to two members of Congress, providing strategic advice and engaging with constituents on a wide variety of legislative issues. He also worked on the 2012 presidential campaign, running field offices and coordinating volunteer operations in central Ohio.

Brian earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2012, and holds a bachelor's degree in English and Philosophy from Lawrence University.

Before attending law school, Brian worked as a case manager, coordinating social services for adults with developmental disabilities, and as a substitute teacher and high school athletics and forensics coach, both in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. He loves sports and the outdoors and looks forward to exploring Indiana's natural splendor with his fiancée and his dog.

Brian's annual salary will be $58,000.