Trustee to speak at Aug. 5 commencement

University of North Georgia (UNG) Foundation Trustee Dr. Jeff Payne will serve as the keynote speaker for UNG's summer commencement ceremony scheduled for 5 p.m. Aug. 5. The UNG Foundation provides philanthropic support for student scholarships and university priorities.

More than 400 graduates will participate in commencement at the Convocation Center on UNG's Dahlonega Campus.

Payne, an active alumnus and supporter of UNG, is one of the most experienced ophthalmologists in north Georgia. He retired in December 2021 as the owner of the Gainesville-based North Georgia Eye Center. He is the chairman of Capstone Property Group, which is developing the National hotel and apartment project in downtown Gainesville.

Payne earned a bachelor's degree in biology from UNG and his doctorate of medicine from the Medical College of Georgia (now Augusta University) in Augusta. He completed his internship and residency in ophthalmology at the Medical College of Georgia, where he was named chief resident.

Payne is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, and the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology. He served as chairman of the Health Partners Board at Northeast Georgia Medical Center and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Ophthalmology and a board member of the Georgia Society of Ophthalmology.

In 2018, Gov. Nathan Deal appointed Payne to serve on the Board of Governors of the George L. Smith II Georgia World Congress Center Authority, and Gov. Brian Kemp recently appointed him to serve on the Lake Lanier Islands Development Authority.

Payne also serves on the Truist Advisory Board for the Northeast Georgia region, as well as the boards of Riverside Military Academy, Lakeview Academy, Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, and Chattahoochee Country Club.

Graduates are encouraged to arrive one hour before their ceremony dressed in their gown and cap with its tassel.

To attend, all guests 2 years old and older must have a ticket. Each graduate is issued up to seven tickets, which can be printed or shown electronically.

For those unable to attend the in-person event, the ceremonies will be streamed live on UNG's Facebook page. UNG encourages everyone to celebrate their graduates with the hashtag #UNG22grad on social media.

Individual commissioning ceremonies for members of the Corps of Cadets entering the U.S. Army, Army National Guard, and Army Reserve will be held on Aug. 5 at the Pennington Military Leadership Center. The events will recognize their service and leadership and formally mark their entrance into the military as second lieutenants. These graduates will also be commissioned collectively during the commencement ceremony.