Rev. Willie W. Branch, Jr. (Buster)

It began when Willie W. Branch, Sr. and his wife, Doris C. Branch had a baby boy named Willie W. Branch, Jr., nicknamed "Buster". He attended public school in Houston, Texas, beginning at  J. Will Jones Elementary, William E. Miller JR. High and Jack Yates SR. High graduating in 1970.  He attended Sul Ross State University for one year then joined the U. S. Navy in 1971 and served until 1983. While in the Navy he achieved the rank of E7 as a Data Processing Technician. He was Honorably discharged to care for his seriously ill father, who passed on to glory in 1986.  In 1990 after the death of his father, the Lord called "Buster" to serve Him in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.  He has done so faithfully still serving after retiring from the pastoral ministry in September 2012.  
 
Within the Ormond Beach community he has served as a Chaplain for the Police Department until January 2015 along with the Volusia County Sheriff's Office, he was elected the first Black Commander of American Legion Post 267 (Ormond Beach), serves as a volunteer Chaplain for Florida Memorial Hospital, now known as Advent Hospital. Served as Chairman of the Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Board, Vice-Chair of the Citizen Law Enforcement Advisory Board, and Chaplain of the Daytona/Volusia County Chapter of the Gospel Music Workshop of America until 2015.
 
Until December 2013 he served as Associate Minister at Historic New Bethel AME Church where he served as Pastor from September 2009 to September 2012. In August 2013, Reverend Branch was appointed as a Commissioner to the Ormond Beach Housing Authority Board by Mayor Ed Kelly and later elected Chairman of that Board until 2025. He also served on the Executive Board to the Ormond Beach Senior Games until 2019.  Since 2019 has served as Commander of American Legion Orange Baker Post 187 until 2023 when his mentee became the first female to serve as Commander. He is now serving as Vice Commander until 2025 and Judge Advocate.