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Executive Director G. Michael Payton to Retire from Ohio
Civil Rights Commission
Special to The Truth
After 35 years of public
service and 18 years working devotedly as the executive
director for the Ohio Civil Rights Commission (OCRC), G.
Michael Payton is set to retire on December 31, 2019. The
Ohio Civil Rights Commission is the state law enforcement
agency that administers the Ohio Civil Rights Act in the
areas of employment, public accommodations, housing, credit
and disabilities in higher education. |
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As executive director,
Payton oversees the OCRC's statewide staff of 80 employees
in their work on civil rights investigations, administrative
adjudications, special enforcement initiatives, Alternative
Dispute Resolution and community outreach efforts. Director
Payton said of his time at OCRC, “It has been a high
privilege and honor to serve our state. I’m grateful for all
of the great citizens that I’ve met along the way. I have
been blessed to have the opportunity to lead our agency in
administrating Ohio’s strong public policy against
discrimination.”
Payton, a Gahanna resident,
began serving the state in 1984 as an assistant attorney
general in the Civil Rights Section of the Ohio Attorney
General's Office. He was later hired to OCRC, first as chief
legal counsel, then director of Regional Operations, and
finally executive director.
In addition to his 22 years of service to the Ohio Civil
Rights Commission, Payton served in the Ohio Attorney
General's Office for 11 years, including as assistant chief
of the Transportation Section where he provided legal
counsel to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). He
also served as ODOT’s Real Estate administrator.
Payton has received several
awards including a national award in 2003 from the EEOC
Chairperson Cari Dominguez for innovative proactive
prevention initiatives in education and outreach relating to
employment discrimination, the 2007 Ohio Conference of
NAACP’s Civil Rights Vanguard Award, the 2008 Fair Housing
Advocates Association’s Keeper of The Dream Award, the 2010
NAACP Toledo chapter’s President’s Outstanding Civil Rights
Award, the 2013 West Virginia Human Rights Commission’s
Special Recognition Award, The Ohio State University’s
Alumni in Government Distinguished Service Award in 2013,
the 2017 Ross County Chapter of NAACP President’s Award for
commitment, dedication and leadership as Director of the
OCRC, and more.
The Ohio Civil Rights
Commission is truly grateful for having had the honor of
serving under Director G. Michael Payton and experiencing
firsthand the great accomplishments he has made to advance
civil rights in the state of Ohio.
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