2009

H u~ ..- )1- 17 1 ;.tco v

·new staffers

. . service as a caregiver/teacher for Friends of Children of Mh sissippi Inc., in Carthage for 10 years. Payton is a former member of the Leake County School Board, serving from 2002 to 2008. During this period she received the Gold Bell Award from the Missis– sippi School Board Associ– ation for the highest number of hours in school board training for the year 2005. She currently serves ott the Oprah Winfrey Boys and Girls Club Board of Directors for Leake County, is a member of Team Leake, South Leake PTO and Booster Club and the Sweet Water Church of God in Christ Payton attended South Leake High School and graduated from • Southridge High School in Indianapolis, Indiana. She holds an associate's degree in childcare tech– nology from Hinds Com– munity College in Ray– mond and continued her education at Jackson State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in childcare and family education and a master's in education/early childhood education.

Payton

.children, Blake and Anna. They are members of Good Hope Baptist Church. Payton is serving as Childcare Center director/Childhood Educa– tion instructor at ECCC. She previously served as manager for the Wonderful World Early Head Start Center in Walnut Grove, a po~ition she held since 2001. In that position, Payton wa!'. responsible for the day-to-day operations of the preschool facility, which holds accreditation from the National Associa– tion for the Fducation of Young Children. Her expe– rience also includes