Communities In Schools Mourns the Loss of Beloved Past Board Chair, Philanthropist Elaine Wynn
CONTACT: Whitney Faison, [email protected], 315-420-6049
Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is deeply saddened by the passing of Elaine P. Wynn, who died at the age of 82. Her passing was announced on Tuesday, April 15, by the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation.
A visionary philanthropist and lifelong champion for children, Elaine was first elected to the CIS National Board of Directors in 1999. She served with unwavering commitment for more than two decades, including 17 years as board chair from 2007 until 2024.
Her leadership helped propel CIS into a new era of growth, expanding its national footprint and deepening its impact in communities across the country. Her tenure led a national movement to ensure schools are built with the people, process, and relationships that connect students to resources and opportunity, impacting millions in the K-12 system annually.
“Elaine’s legacy with Communities In Schools is forged by the millions of lives she has moved closer to opportunity and potential. Elaine dreamt at a scale that many of us could not see without her vision. Because of this, and during her tenure, Communities In Schools built the largest youth-serving non-profit working inside schools, lifting barriers at a measure only she could envision for us. She lit the path for many to ensure we always lit the path for others. There is no greater symbol of love than that of service, and her heart and mind were perpetually aimed at serving others with the gifts she was given.” -Rey Saldaña, national president and CEO of Communities In Schools
She began her journey with Communities In Schools over 30 years ago, when she met Founder Bill Milliken in her pursuit of understanding how she could bring CIS to Las Vegas in 1993. She would start the first CIS affiliate in Las Vegas, which would later become CIS of Nevada, now serving more than 100,000 students in 118 high-needs schools in her beloved state.
Elaine Wynn had the remarkable ability to see across the horizon without losing sight of the smallest details. While impacting millions, she always saw each child as an individual with the unique power to transform others' lives for the good.
Her service extended beyond CIS, with leadership roles including President of the Nevada State Board of Education and co-chair of the Education Reform Blue Ribbon Task Force. Her dedication earned her numerous accolades, including the Governor’s Philanthropist of the Year Award and the Lewis Hine Award for Service to Children and Youth.
We would not be here, sustaining through the highs and lows of a 50-year history, without Elaine Wynn. She was the unstoppable force that always kept us moving through immovable barriers. That’s what she was to Communities In Schools, and that’s what she wanted for all students—to let nothing stand in the way of their dreams and potential. Her loss is an opportunity to honor her legacy and continue to build the path she laid for our movement inside schools.
-Bill Milliken, Founder and Vice Chairman of CIS
A New York native, Elaine graduated from George Washington University and later made Las Vegas her home, where she raised two daughters and became a beloved community leader. She also served as a trustee of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and held board positions with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Library of Congress Trust Fund.
“Elaine Wynn meant so much to Communities In Schools, but even more to the movement in public education to ensure that no student went without access to the resources and relationships they need to thrive. She often commented about the dream to ensure that every school serving students living in poverty had a Communities In Schools staff member. Due to her legacy, we will reach all 60,000 Title I schools.” -Donna Weiss, Chair of the CIS National Board
About Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is a national organization that ensures every student, regardless of who they are, has what they need to realize their potential in school and beyond. Working directly inside more than 3,000 schools across the country, we connect students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. Together, we build a powerful change movement made up of peers, students, and alumni committed to building an equitable path to education for future generations. Follow us for news @communitiesinschools on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook, @cisnational on X (formerly Twitter) or with the hashtag #BeingPresentMatters.
