Meet the DDA Board: Wayne Wills

Wayne Wills life is a testament to what sustained commitment to community can accomplish over time. For more than five decades, Wayne has placed service at the center of his life, guided by a simple but powerful mantra: make the world a better place. Whether through public office, volunteer leadership, education advocacy, or faith based service, his legacy is rooted in truly caring for everyone and leaving things better than he found them.

Wayne's involvement in the community began in the 1970s, when he joined the Ortonville Lions Club in 1974. By 1979, he was already serving as president, a role he would later return to again decades later in 2009 - 2010. This early leadership experience helped shape his belief that strong  communities are built by people willing to show up consistently and lead with humility. Wayne has been deeply involved in civic life, serving organizations such as the village planning commissioner, the Brandon Township  Fire Board, the Brandon School Board, the Brandon Athletic Boosters, and administrative councils at both Ortonville United Methodist Church and Clarkston United Methodist Church. 

Education and youth development became especially important themes in Wayne's life. In the early 1990s, while serving on the school board and athletic boosters, he worked to enhance and strengthen the local school district. Between 1995 and 2005 Wayne helped direct nearly $100,000 per year into athletic development by operating a bingo hall in Waterford, ensuring student athletes better facilities and opportunities. His belief in education was personal as well as philosophical, his brother was a teacher for 40 years in the Belding School District. Believing that learning at all levels is essential to a thriving community.

In 2010, Wayne joined the village council, a move he often credits to a moment of unexpected encouragement. As he once said, "I'm on the council because Dan Eschmann showed up one day in my front yard and talked me into it. I don't know where I would be had that not been the case." That conversation led Wayne to eventually serve eight years as Village President, where he faced some of the most challenging and controversial issues. Topics like public trails, backyard chickens, and community wide sewage treatment sparked up debate among the council members and residents alike.

One of the defining challenges of Waynes's time as president was revisiting a wastewater treatment initiative that had stalled for nearly 50 years. The issue reignited heated debates, even leading to the firing of a village manager. Despite the turmoil, Wayne learned a lesson that shaped his leadership philosophy: progress cannot happen without perseverance. Sometimes, even with good planning, consensus cannot be reached. In those moments, Wayne believed leaders must step back, rebuild support, and return stronger. As the past Villanova basketball head coach Jimmy Valvano would say "Don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever give up." A lesson Wayne has carried throughout his life.

Faith has always anchored Wayne's approach to leadership. For 50 years, he put God first followed by family and community. As Village President, he made it a point to begin meetings with a prayer, believing humility and perspective were essential when making decisions that affected others. 

More recently after stepping down as DDA Village president in 2018, Wayne continued contributing and serving as a DDA board member. Now in 2026, Wayne has resigned as a DDA board member. Wayne still plans on being involved in the community as much as he can through volunteering or helping whenever he is needed in the summer. While during the winter months he spends his time in Florida with his wife, teaching and playing pickleball. To Wayne, leadership never truly ends, it simply changes forms.

Wayne Wills believes that legacy is everything. He often says a person is "only as good as the legacy they are able to build & leave behind." A value instilled in him when at five years old, he helped his father who was also a member of the Brandon Township Firefighters lay bricks for the local baseball diamond. Whether through passing school bond issues totaling tens of millions of dollars, improving athletic facilities, or simply smiling at someone in a grocery store having a bad day. Wayne understands that community is built in both big decisions and small moments. His life proves that caring, consistency, and faith can ripple outward, making not just a village, but the world itself a better place.