Ron D. Burton

Here’s a biographical profile of Ron D. Burton, based on available public records and Rotary/phil­anthropy sources. (Note: his designation as “businessman” is less prominent than his civic, foundation, and nonprofit roles.)

Ron D. Burton – Life, Career, and Civic Leadership

Explore the life, service, and leadership of Ron D. Burton—American civic leader, Rotary International President (2013–14), and foundation executive known for philanthropy and stewardship.

Introduction

Ron D. Burton is an American leader and executive in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. He is best known for serving as President of Rotary International during 2013–2014. He also spent many years as head of the University of Oklahoma Foundation. His life reflects a blend of organizational leadership, service ethics, and commitment to stewardship.

While Burton is sometimes referred to as a “businessman,” much of his public legacy is in education, charity, and volunteer leadership rather than commercial entrepreneurship.

Early Life & Background

Public information about Burton’s early life (birth date, family, childhood) is limited. His rise appears rooted in professional service, civic engagement, and educational philanthropy.

He is based in Oklahoma, where much of his career and service work was concentrated.

Education & Professional Foundations

While specific details about Burton’s formal education are not prominently published in the sources located, several aspects of his professional standing suggest strong legal, organizational, and fundraising competence:

• He is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, and is a member of multiple bar associations (Oklahoma Bar Association, Cleveland County Bar Association, American Bar Association).

• He served as President of the University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc., retiring from that role in 2007.

• His work in the foundation likely involved fund-raising, endowment management, donor relations, and program development in higher education.

Thus, his professional identity bridges nonprofit administration, legal competence, and philanthropic leadership.

Civic & Rotary Leadership

Early Rotary Involvement & Growth

Burton’s deep involvement with Rotary began at the local club level in Norman, Oklahoma. Over time, he assumed increasing responsibilities:

• Serving in district-level roles, as a trustee of The Rotary Foundation, and in committees such as the Future Vision Committee and PolioPlus programs.

• He held leadership positions in the Foundation’s governance, including vice chair and trustee roles.

These roles prepared him for the top global leadership position at Rotary.

Rotary International President: 2013–2014

Burton served as the 105th President of Rotary International, from mid-2013 to mid-2014.

Some key themes and actions during his presidency:

• Theme & Vision: He adopted the theme “Engage Rotary, Change Lives”, emphasizing that membership should mean active service, not passive affiliation.

• Active Travel & Engagement: Despite encouragement to use digital outreach, Burton emphasized in-person engagement—visiting clubs, communities, meeting with grassroots projects.

• Fundraising and Support: He asked all district governors (537 of them) to make contributions to The Rotary Foundation, creating a culture of shared ownership and raising more than US$700,000 in that class.

• Continuity & Collaboration: He worked with his predecessor and successor to ensure continuity in priorities, particularly in polio eradication and membership growth.

Burton’s presidency thus balanced visionary goals with practical stewardship and accountability.

Challenges & Later Roles

Trustee Changes & Governance Tensions

In April 2019, the Board of Trustees of The Rotary Foundation removed Burton as Chair of the Trustees midterm (while he remained a trustee through June 30, 2019). The board cited that certain actions by Trustee Burton were inconsistent with earlier Board decisions.

This episode illustrates that even in nonprofit leadership, governance tensions and differing judgments can challenge relationships among trustees.

Continued Influence

Though no longer President, Burton remained active as a speaker, advisor, and in Rotary events. He continued to emphasize:

• Membership engagement

• Ethics and stewardship in philanthropy

• Practical implementation of projects at the community level

• Developing new leaders in clubs and districts

• Donor accountability, transparent reporting, and alignment of mission with impact.

His influence persists via former colleagues, club leadership, and the programs he guided.

Personality, Leadership Style & Principles

From what is publicly known, Burton is characterized as:

• Stewardship-minded: He treats gifts, volunteer time, and donor trust as a public responsibility.

• Plainspoken and pragmatic: Preferring clear goals, measurable progress, and responsibility delineation.

• Inclusive and relational: He often credits staff, volunteers, partners first and centers relationships in leadership.

• Service-centric: His guiding principle seems to be that leadership is service—not prestige.

• Global-local balance: He operated at the intersection of global vision (Rotary’s worldwide mission) and local impact (club-level projects) in his worldview.

These traits inform not just how he led Rotary, but how he shaped expectations in philanthropy.

Legacy & Impact

Ron D. Burton’s legacy spans several domains:

1. Rotary & Volunteerism
   His year as RI President and his broader leadership in Foundation roles contributed to reinforcing Rotary’s culture of service, accountability, and leadership development.

2. Higher Education Philanthropy
   Through his leadership at the University of Oklahoma Foundation, he helped steward donor funds, support academic programs, and align university priorities with philanthropic giving.

3. Governance & Stewardship Model
   Burton championed transparency, measurement, and shared ownership—principles that influence how clubs, foundations, and nonprofits in Rotary and beyond manage resources.

4. Leadership Development
   By promoting club-level engagement, new leadership, and mentorship, Burton seeded growth in a generation of Rotarians and civic leaders.

While less known outside Rotary and philanthropic circles than some corporate business leaders, his influence is deep in the nonprofit and service sectors.

Notable Quotes & Reflections

Here are a few quotes attributed to or associated with Burton that reflect his philosophy:

• “This position isn’t about me. It’s about the job.”

• “Where you go in life, whatever job you set out to do, you should always leave the woodpile a little higher than it was when you found it.”

• “Engage Rotary, Change Lives” (his presidential theme)

These reflect humility, a sense of upward legacy, and commitment to action over rhetoric.

Lessons & Insights from His Career

From Burton’s journey, a few lessons emerge useful to nonprofit, civic, or leadership domains:

1. Leadership is service, not status
   Burton consistently emphasized that positions exist to carry mission, not personal prestige.

2. Shared ownership fosters commitment
   Asking all district governors to give to the Foundation helped cultivate buy-in rather than top-down expectation.

3. Face-to-face engagement matters
   Even in an era of digital outreach, Burton believed in personal visits, conversations, and presence.

4. Governance must be principled and flexible
   His removal as chair shows that even respected leaders must navigate evolving board dynamics and collective accountability.

5. Sustainability requires succession and capacity building
   He encouraged leadership development in others to ensure institutions outlast individuals.

6. Transparency and measurement matter
   In philanthropic settings, donor trust is upheld when impact is reported and decisions are held to standards.