The Northeast Florida Regional Council in an announcement Monday named Elizabeth Payne as its next chief executive officer.
Payne will succeed Brian Teeple, who is retiring March 1.
“I am very much looking forward to the opportunity – to work to position the council to address the changing trends of the coming years in Florida,” Payne said in the news release.
Payne is the council’s emergency preparedness programs director and has been with the group for more than 10 years.
“She is a remarkable woman with a clear vision for the council,” said regional council President Catherine Robinson, the mayor of Bunnell. “Under her leadership, I am certain we will usher in a new era of regional cooperation and coordination.”
Payne has more than 18 years of professional experience in both the public and private sectors. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and has a master’s in planning from Virginia Commonwealth University.
“Having led the council for 33 years I thought I would have difficulty in letting go, but I am at ease knowing the council will be in good hands,” Teeple said.
The NEFRC is an association of local governments in Northeast Florida comprising Baker, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Putnam, Nassau and St. Johns counties and their 26 municipalities. Its major program areas include economic development, planning and development and emergency preparedness.