The Legacy Continues
A legacy built to outlive a lifetime.
The story of the Wynn family is the story of one generation's service becoming the next generation's calling.
Archival family photograph — the Wynn family
Rev. Willie J. Wynn
Minister. Community leader. Public servant.
The late Rev. Willie J. Wynn built a legacy of ministry and civic leadership in Nevada — a foundation of faith and service that his family carries forward today.
- Minister, community leader and public servant
- Nevada's first African American state cabinet member, appointed by Gov. Paul Laxalt
- Nevada Equal Rights Commissioner, appointed by Gov. Richard Bryan
- Former Reno Housing Authority board member
Public reporting on the naming of the housing community recalls Rev. Wynn's concern that seniors be able to age in peace and dignity.
Reno, Nevada
The Willie J. Wynn Apartments
A permanent mark of a life of service — named for a man who served.
The Willie J. Wynn Apartments are a 44-unit affordable senior housing community in Reno, Nevada — including one- and two-bedroom homes, with units dedicated to seniors coming out of long-term homelessness or motel stays.
The community was named in honor of Rev. Willie J. Wynn, a former Reno Housing Authority board member, in recognition of his decades of service. The property is operated by the Reno Housing Authority — it is named in honor of the Wynn family legacy and is not owned or operated by Dr. John Wynn.
Named in honor
Service established by one generation, continued through the next — a name on a building that stands for a life given to community.
The Lineage
From service to enterprise.
The Foundation
Rev. Willie J. Wynn
A life of ministry and public service — from the pulpit to the statehouse — that established the Wynn legacy of leadership and community impact.
The Continuation
Dr. John Wynn
Carrying the legacy into ministry, media, music and the marketplace — building people, platforms and enterprise on the foundation his father laid.
The Expansion
The Next Generation
The work continues — service established by one generation, continued through the next, in ministry, media, business and community.
"What one generation built, the next generation continues."
The legacy of Rev. Willie J. Wynn lives on — in the pulpit and the boardroom, on screen and in the community, through the work of Dr. John Wynn and the generations who follow.
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