Our Leadership

Dianna R. Payton (CEO)

previously served as the Director of Community Investment for Capital Area United Way (CAUW). In this position, she oversaw the allocation of funds for 46 Community Partnership Agencies and 104 programs in the Capital Region. She also led the strategic

development and execution of CAUW’s first open-competitive Community Investment process in its 90-year history. 

​Ms. Payton has managed non-profit programs and served as a grant writer for more than a decade at the local, state and national levels including serving as a Grants Consultant for Hanover Research an international research and grant writing firm in Washington, D.C. Prior to this, she gained extensive knowledge with the Louisiana Association for Community Action Partnerships (LACAP) as a Leveraging/Research Analyst where she was responsible for research, development and submittal of grant proposals for the association and its 42 membership Community Action Agencies. 

Ms. Payton also served as the Grants Administrator for the Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), where she assisted eighteen Workforce Investment Boards with fostering strategic community relationships and identifying national practices to support individuals and companies impacted by massive layoffs such as the Deepwater Horizon/BP Oil spill, General Motors plant closure and Hurricane Gustav. 

Ms. Payton currently serves on the East Baton Rouge Parish Housing Authority, Partners for Progress and Capital City Family Health Center Board of Directors and is a newly appointed member of LSU Libraries Advisory Committee. She is also an active member of Capital Area Network, the Mayor's My Brother's Keeper Steering Committee and participated as a 2015 MetroMorphosis Urban Leadership Development Initiative Fellow. Ms. Payton is also a 2008 graduate of Leadership Baton Rouge.