About Wayne

Wayne Adkins grew up in Tennessee and attended East Tennessee State University where he graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Real Estate. In 1978 he moved to Salem and since that time his commitment to the City has been evidenced by his active involvement in the community.

In 1998 Wayne was appointed to the School Board for the City of Salem. Prior to this Wayne served on the six-year planning committee, the CPMT Committee and the Salem High After Prom Committee. He has also been involved with Salem Parks & Recreation as part of the South Salem Booster Club and as a baseball and AAU basketball coach.

Wayne has demonstrated his passion for educating young people in business and financial management through his involvement with Junior Achievement. He has been a JA consultant in schools since 1982 and has served on the board of directors for the organization. In addition, Wayne has been, and will continue to serve, on the Virginia Jump$tart Coalition for Financial Literacy and currently serves as Chair of the Board.

Wayne and his wife, Sandy, have been married for 29 years. Their son, Bryan, is a 1995 graduate of Salem High School and a 1999 graduate of Roanoke College. They are the proud grandparents of Trace, the son of Bryan and daughter-in-law Melanie. Wayne and Sandy are charter members of Fellowship Community Church where they remain active and serve on various committees and ministries.

Salem was the first school division out of the 132 in Virginia to include a class in personal finance as a requirement for graduation. The Commonwealth of Virginia is using Salem Schools as a model for making financial literacy a graduation requirement for all schools starting in the fall of 2010. As a member of the Salem City School Board, Wayne Adkins was a key player in this accomplishment.

Wayne developed the idea of a financial literacy requirement while serving as a volunteer in the schools with Junior Achievement. In 1999 he began campaigning for a Financial Literacy Class and persevered until it became a reality in 2006. The program has earned Salem an honorable mention of the American School Board Journal’s National Magna Awards.

“I feel honored to have been a part of the School System and I feel like I have made a contribution,” says Adkins.

If elected to City Council, the citizens of Salem can rest assured Wayne Adkins will apply the same values of common sense and determination for the betterment and success of our community.