Dr. Amy Jo Payne, 53, is the first-ever Kentuckian to hold a Petite USA title. Amy Jo received a doctorate degree in clinical social work from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. She is also a graduate of the University of Louisville’s Kent School of Social Work (MSSW, ’02) and Eastern Kentucky University (’96, ’93).

Professionally, Amy Jo is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) for the Veterans Health Administration. As a mental health therapist, she provides lifesaving suicide prevention treatment to our nation’s veteran population. Additionally, she is specialty trained in evidence-based therapies designed to treat PTSD, complex trauma, and prolonged grief.

Amy Jo’s platform, Turning It Up Green, increases awareness, advocacy, and education surrounding Bile Duct Cancer (Cholangiocarcinoma). The movement is a dedication to her late mother, Joan, lost her battle with this incredibly fatal cancer in 2016.

In her free time, Amy Jo enjoys spending time with her pup daughter, Emmy, along with horseback riding, cheering on her favorite sports teams, landscape photography, and traveling to different countries to learn about different cultures.