Jeff Payne, PE

Chief Operating Officer

Jeff Payne is Freese and Nichols’ Chief Operating Officer. He has a diverse background in all types of infrastructure design, program management, and operations. He joined Freese and Nichols in 2005, and during his time as a Group Manager and Assistant Division Manager in our North Texas Water and Environmental Division, he managed many of our largest and most complex water supply projects that have garnered state and national recognition.

Jeff earned his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the United States Air Force Academy and master’s degree in Engineering and Environmental Management from the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology. While in active duty and the reserves, he served as an Air Force Civil Engineer and deployed multiple times in support of Operations Southern Watch and Iraqi Freedom. In 2017 he retired from the Air Force Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel. Jeff lives in Argyle, Texas and enjoys watching all three of his daughters play sports.