College was interrupted by the Vietnam War as Wayne joined the U.S. Navy to avoid being drafted by the U.S. Army. Much to his surprise the Navy made him a Hospital Corpsman and eventually sent him to the 1st Marine Division in Vietnam.

After an honorable discharge he returned to Oklahoma University and obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1972. In 1977 he became a licensed professional engineer.

After working for different firms, he started Allen Consulting, Inc. in 1979 and has been there ever since.

With his vast experience in the engineering and construction fields, Governor Kevin Stitt asked Wayne to become a member of the OUBCC in 2021.