Fred Payne

Payne oversaw the Department of Workforce Development as the pandemic put hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers out of work and on unemployment. Like with state unemployment agencies across the country, applications quickly became backlogged. At one point, there were more than 1 million weekly pending claims in Indiana. He is currently CEO of United Way of Central Indiana. Payne served as commissioner of Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development, a role to which he was appointed by Gov. Eric Holcomb in December 2017. Before joining the department, Payne spent more than a decade at Honda Manufacturing of Indiana in various roles, including the chief administrator, general counsel, and compliance officer. He’s credited with starting several key initiatives, including the office of inclusion and diversity, corporate governance, and risk management. Payne currently serves on the board of directors for the Indy Eleven Foundation, Indianapolis Urban League, and Honda Federal Credit Union. Payne is a graduate of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law and Grambling State University. He has experience in private law practice