Durham Commissioner Wayne Burton Named NEDA Educator of the Year

Durham’s Dr. Wayne Burton was named Northeastern Economic Developers Association’s (NEDA) Educator of the Year. This summer he retired from the position as President of North Shore Community College (NSCC) in Danvers, MA. Burton was awarded this honor for his role in both higher education, and strengthening the local economy through the encouragement of community partnerships. This role included Burton’s championing for strong connections between businesses, educators, and economic developers in an effort to prepare students for their respective workforce, with the goal of eventually creating a more competitive workforce all together. At the ceremony where he was bestowed this honor, Dr. Burton spoke to the award saying, “most gratifying to me is NEDA’s recognition that educational and economic development must be co-equal partners in pursuing our primary goal of building healthy communities.”

James Cowdell, the Executive Director of Lynn’s Economic Development & Industrial Corporation, nominated Burton due to Burton’s role in, and commitment to, expanding North Shore Community College, the Essex Agricultural and North Shore Voc Tech, and in beginning the North Shore Alliance for Economic Development. SRPC would like to congratulate Dr. Burton for all of his hard work and highlight a shining example of dedication to learning and economic development and its importance regionally, statewide, and nationally.

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*This blog post was written using the article Durham’s Burton NEDA Educator of Year which was published in the September 24^th issue of Foster’s Daily Democrat