City Manager

 

                    

Lloyd Payne
City Manager

paynel@concordnc.gov

  
Lloyd Wm. Payne, Jr. is Concord's eighth City Manager, after serving as Assistant City Manager since May of 2015. Prior to arriving in Concord, Payne served ten years as the Town Manager of Elkin in Surry County, and four years as Town Manager of Lake Waccamaw in Columbus County.

In addition to his local government experience, Payne retired from service in the North Carolina Army National Guard after 25 years. A decorated veteran in the field of transportation and logistics, his final assignment was the Command Sergeant Major (CSM) of the 113th Sustainment Brigade. Payne served three tours of active duty service, including combat deployments to Bosnia in the mid-1990s and Iraq/Kuwait twice between 2003 and 2010.

Payne has been recognized by the International City-County Management Association as a Credentialed Manager, and holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Public Administration degrees from Appalachian State University. He has completed the Rural Economic Development Institute through the NC Rural Center, the UNC School of Government's  Municipal Administration Course and Public Executive Leadership Academy, the ICMA Gettysburg Leadership Institute, ICMA Williamsburg Leadership Institute, and Leadership Cabarrus.

Payne's appointment was effective April 1, 2018. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Beth, and their children Ella and Liam, as well as playing golf.

Council-Manager Form of Government

 

City of Concord Strategic Plan 2020-2023

The City of Concord's Strategic Plan was adopted by City Council on April 11, 2019. The plan was drafted by the City Manager, presented to the Mayor and City Council at the Annual City Council Planning Session on January 31, 2019, and revised based on City Council feedback. The plan outlines the City of Concord City Council's goals and objectives for FY 2020-2023 and will guide budget development. Click here to review the plan.

Manager's Notes

by Lloyd Payne, City Manager

Celebrating our outstanding team members

Hello Concord.  I trust you and your family are doing well and prospering in our great City. 

Recently, the City celebrated the 2nd annual Sid Talbert Finance Team Values Award by recognizing Allen Gayden for his contributions to Team Finance and Team Concord.  Allen is a member of our Building and Grounds Department and is an outstanding City employee.  Much like last year’s inaugural winner (Greg Neal) of this prestigious award, Allen demonstrates the Finance Team’s core values (Fairness, Dedicated Service, Honesty, and Trust) on a daily basis.  If you see Allen, offer a big congratulations to him and learn more about this award here.

Recently, Greg Spears, one of our Team Solid Waste members, finished 2nd in the International Road-E-O competition at the Solid Waste Association of North America event in Glendale, Arizona.  What an accomplishment for Greg and a tribute to his dedication to hone his skill set for our citizens!  Pass along your “thank you” to Greg when you next see him.

In addition, Mandy Smith-Thompson, the City’s Environmental Education Specialist, was recently recognized as the Environmental Educators of North Carolina 2019 Outstanding Practitioner of the Year.  Mandy partners and collaborates with Cabarrus County Schools, Concord Wildlife Alliance, Master Gardeners, North Carolina Wildlife Federation, and other groups to better educate us on the impact of our actions on the environment. 

One of the City’s Core Values is Culture of Excellence.  It is defined as “We respect members of the public and each other and treat all with courtesy and dignity. We rely on teamwork to provide a seamless experience for all customers.  We uphold high ethical standards in our personal, professional, and organizational conduct. We continuously improve by promoting innovation and flexibility to best meet the needs of our customers with available resources.” 

I am a firm believer in ensuring the culture of excellence first begins with individuals within the City who strive to bring their very best to work each day and to take steps to better themselves (and those around them).  Allen, Greg, and Mandy epitomize the culture of our City by their daily actions and continual efforts to be a little better today than they were yesterday.  We deliberately promote Team Concord, but for this to be a reality, it starts with all of us individually.  Team Concord desires to meet your needs and provide excellent customer service.  While we aim for perfection, we are not perfect and will not get it right every time.  When we err, we will step up, own it, and make it right.

We are honored to serve you as your public servants.  I hope you will agree with me that we have an incredible City which has yet to reach its full potential.  We will continue to partner with you as we join hands in our effort to be the very best City we can be – for you and for each other.