Michael Payne
Candidate LSC Area II Member

Michael Payne, JD

General Counsel, West Virginia Board of Registered Nurses

Describe your professional, regulatory and community experience related to succession planning and recruitment strategies.

I was the member of a small law firm from 2006 until 2021. During that time I was responsible for hiring numerous secretaries, paralegals and lawyers. Proper vetting of candidates was important to ensure that not only were they a good fit for the firm with regard to their legal competence, but also that candidates were presentable to the public in appearance and in personality. Also, the firm was required to have a succession plan for in the event that a one of the attorneys would leave the practice unexpectedly.

Detail your involvement with NCSBN (e.g., attending NCSBN meetings/conferences, subject matter expert panelist, participation on networking calls and NCSBN committee member) that make you a strong fit for the LSC.

I have been attending NCSBN annual, mid year, leadership, and discipline conferences since 2021 through the present day. I was a member of the most recent Governance and By-Laws Committee, which I found to be very rewarding. My experience on the committee made me enthusiastic about continuing my work on behalf of NCSBN on the LSC.

Identify the attributes of effective leaders and explain what leadership means to you:

First and foremost, leadership starts with being present, accessible and prepared. In order to lead you must be present and around those who you seek to lead and in the place in which that leadership will take place. Accessibility means that you are approachable and open to the suggestions and questions that people will have for you. Preparedness means that you understand the subject matter intimately such that you can speak to it at the highest levels and know where to find answers quickly to questions that you cannot answer immediately. As a member of the LSC I would used these tools in two different ways. First, I would use these attributes to help steer the LSC, along with my fellow committee members, in a way that the LSC would most benefit the entire membership of NCSBN. Second, as a member of the LSC I would look for these same attributes in the vetting process that the LSC employs to determine who are the most viable candidates for NCSBN leadership positions.