Dr. Avon L. Burns retired in 2013 as the Coordinator of the MCC Criminal Justice program
with more than 29 years of service. She entered the law enforcement field at a time
when it was dominated by males. While at MCC, she radically changed the demographics
of the state and local law enforcement community by increasing the number of females
and minority students who successfully completed our programs. She implemented several
innovative programs and initiatives, including the Corrections Officer Academic Program,
Criminal Justice Student Organization and the Criminal Justice Career Fair. A Michigan
State University School of Criminal Justice "Wall of Fame" inductee, Dr. Burns was
appointed by former Gov. Jennifer Granholm to the Corrections Officer Training Council
where she served as Chairperson from 2009-2012. In 2014, Mary Cusack, Dean of Fine
Arts & Social Science wrote the following statement in recognition of Dr. Burns work:
“Dr. Burns brought to the college a wealth and breadth of experience in the field
of law enforcement that included industrial security; investigator for the office
of the ombudsman; drug program intake, referral and counseling; grant writing; and
management and administration work.” Dr. Burns holds a Bachelor of Science in Human
Services from Ferris State University and a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice from
MSU. While at Mott, she completed a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction at Wayne State
University. During this time, she also created an approved curriculum to train corrections
officers. Her extensive work in the community has included service to Flint Area
Crime Stoppers, New Paths Inc. Board of Directors and the MCC Bruin Club Board of
Directors and she continues to give back to her community by serving on many local
boards and committees.
Judge Ramona Roberts Gibson returned to MCC during the 2019 Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony for a signing event of her book “Karma’s Street Justice,” from which a portion of the from the evening’s book sales were donated to The Foundation for Mott Community College.
