Tabitha E. Payne of Bell/Payne LLC in Whigham was appointed to serve on the Board of Governors of the 50,000-member State Bar of Georgia and was installed June 8 during the organization’s Annual Meeting.

Payne, who was appointed by 2018-19 State Bar President Kenneth B. Hodges III, will serve in the South Georgia Judicial Circuit, Post 2 seat on the board, representing Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Grady and Mitchell counties. She earned her law degree from the Florida Coastal School of Law and was admitted to the State Bar of Georgia in 2015. Her law practice is concentrated in the areas of domestic relations and criminal defense in both the federal and state courts.

The Board of Governors is the 160-member policymaking authority of the State Bar, with representation from each of Georgia’s judicial circuits. The board holds regular meetings at least four times per year.