For
MHCSD Board Director Eric Payne, success is all about balance. In
addition to serving on the MHCSD Board, Payne works for Henry Schein, Inc.,
a distributor of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners. He
is also a new father of a 4-month-old boy, named Owen Payne, and the founder
of the Mountain House Little League.
"Whether you’re talking about family, work or community, success lies in the individual’s effort to maintain the right balance," said Payne.
A baseball enthusiast and consummate networker, Payne understands that team work is critical both on the field and off the field. Wearing so many hats, Payne is careful to balance his commitments by carefully scheduling with his wife Marisa and others and working to his strengths while letting others handle the rest.
"My wife and I decided before we had Owen that we were both going to raise him," said Payne. "We work hard to spend an equal amount of time with Owen throughout the week. That means during the times that I am with him I am responsible for all childcare duties including feeding, bathing and dressing him." Although he admits his wife is better at coordinating Owen’s outfits.
"I’m comfortable knowing where my strengths lie and where others might be better suited," said Payne. "I’m looking forward to getting to know the other MHCSD Board members and learning their strengths, so we can successfully exploit our individual areas of expertise for the benefit of the community."
Community service is not new to Payne. While earning his bachelor’s degree in rhetoric at University of California, Davis, Payne served as the student representative on the Advisory Council for the City of Davis. He also helped to start the SAE fraternity at UC Davis. In addition, after he earned his Juris Doctor degree from Humphreys College, Payne taught high school science at Davis and Livermore high schools.
Payne feels his biggest priority as the MHCSD Board Director is to continue to build the sense of community at Mountain House. In addition to the MHCSD efforts, Payne wants to build on the current community efforts of the Mountain House Little League, Mountain House Mothers’ Club, Mountain House Neighborhood Watch and MH Villages.
"We need to work with community groups to get the message out of how other community members can be involved in the community," said Payne. "We also need to find opportunities for local Mountain House business owners to network."
Payne sees the economy as the biggest near-term challenge for Mountain House, but Payne is still optimistic. "A weak economy doesn’t mean that we have to lose our sense of community," said Payne. "Making sure we are working on the right priorities and balancing those priorities in a fiscally responsible manner with a team-oriented approach, we will leave a wonderful legacy at Mountain House for our children."