TCA Monthly Alumni Spotlight – Austin Wynn
This month, TCA is extremely proud to shine the light on our newest board member, Austin Wynn, CPA. A 2009 TCA alum, Wynn is the Director of Trust and Estate Tax at Ennis Pellum and Associates CPAs, husband to Jennifer (also a 2009 TCA alum), and loving father to John and Rosalie. When not busy with work, Wynn also enjoys serving on the boards of The Florida Theatre and the University of North Florida’s Planned Giving Advisory, is the treasurer for Northeast Florida Quail Forever, and a member of the Estate Planning Council of Northeast Florida.
While it is evident Austin is very ingrained in various professional and civic efforts across North Florida, he makes sure to still have fun. Living on a 30-acre farm in Callahan, Florida, Austin enjoys engaging in many outdoor activities such as gardening, hunting, fishing, and shooting sports. He is also an avid music lover who enjoys attending live shows and any opportunities to expand his musical knowledge.
When reflecting on the things that he is most proud of in his career, he spoke of his enjoyment of helping others. “I get a strong sense of satisfaction from knowing that I am helping people with complicated issues that they need an expert to be able to turn to for answers,” said Austin. “I enjoy feeling like I am part of a team working hand in hand with the business owners of Jacksonville to grow their individual enterprises and the city.”
This love of teamwork was cultivated during Austin’s time at TCA on the football team. “Every single coach had an impact on my life in a positive way. The most influential ones were Verlon Dorminey, Danny Andrews, and Dave Burdetsky,” said Austin. “Verlon was the one that first showed me how to put a great team together and surround yourself with individuals who have different skills that can make up for your weaknesses. Danny was the first coach I had that really believed in what I was capable of and pushed me to realize my true potential. Finally, Coach Burd was the best friend I have ever had as a coach. He took a genuine interest in who I was as a person off the football field. He cared about my interests, my home life, and my spiritual walk.”
Alongside Coach Burd, TCA as a whole had a great impact on Austin’s relationship with God—more than any other place or group of people in his life. “I credit TCA with being the catalyst that led to my salvation,” says Austin. “I was introduced to the Gospel at TCA and found a genuine interest in learning more about the Bible and what it meant to be Christian.” Austin built on this experience by attending church on a regular basis, getting saved, and expanding his circle of Christian influences beyond the walls of TCA.
As a board member, Austin Wynn is an obvious advocate for TCA, but his passion for the school is genuine—one that radiates through every fond memory he has and every word he speaks. TCA taught him invaluable lessons on how to be disciplined, push himself to do the very best, and the importance of strong support systems. To someone looking to attend or send their students to TCA, Austin says,
“I truly believe there is no other place that cares more about your children and gives them the tools and resources to bring out the very best of what they are capable of.”
These were words that rang true for Austin Wynn and are also ones that can ring true for you as well.
To learn more about TCA and how it empowered other alum like Wynn to discover and live out their God-given purpose, visit https://tcajax.org/.