John Payne

Director of Technology and Innovation

John earned his Bachelor of Science degree (Biology major/Chemistry minor) from Milligan College and a Masters in Education with emphasis in Instructional Technology from ETSU. He has also completed additional coursework at Northeast State and ETSU and holds a Certified Internet Webmasters certification (CIW). In 2001 John was named a ThinkQuest Fellow and he is a Thinkfinity certified trainer. In 2011, John earned his Microsoft Innovative Educator certification and Smart Notebook trainer certification.



John has been an educator for 32 years before retiring in 2015. He spent the first ten years of his career teaching Chemistry and Physics in the Greene county school system. In 1994, he joined the faculty of Dobyns-Bennett High School as a Physics and Physical Science teacher. In 2003, John gained his Career and Technical Education (CTE) certification and began to teach Web Page Design I and II as part of the CTE curriculum. In 2008, John began his tenure as Director of Technology for Kingsport City Schools serving in that capacity for 8 years. While working in Greene County he received the Sigma XI American Chemical Society award in 1994 for Chemistry education.



John spent two summers working for Eastman Chemical Company as part if the Putting Children First program and in the Public Relations department. He developed a recycling education program and science mini-labs dealing with environmental education. John is married to Tammie Payne and they have one daughter Katie.