Deputy Commissioner Grayford F. Payne
Grayford F. Payne serves as the Deputy Commissioner for policy, administration and budget, and as the chief financial officer, in the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation. He has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since 2005 and oversees all aspects of Reclamation’s nearly $5 billion annual budget to manage and protect water and critical infrastructure throughout the drought-stricken American West.
Prior to joining the Bureau of Reclamation, Deputy Commissioner Payne served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary and Chief Financial Officer in the Department of the Interior’s Office of the Assistant Secretary - Indian Affairs. He also served as the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary - Policy, Management & Budget for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Deputy Commissioner Payne has served in a variety of senior positions throughout the Federal government, including leadership positions within the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and oversight of the Navy’s National Security and Science and Technology Programs while serving with the Department of the Navy’s Naval Audit Service.
Deputy Commissioner Payne graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. He is a graduate of the Department of Defense Acquisition University’s Defense Systems Management College and was honored with the Secretary of the Interior's SES Gold Leadership Award in 2007, Bronze Leadership Award in 2006, and Silver Leadership Award in 2005.
Deputy Commissioner Payne is married and has 4 children and 7 grandchildren.
