CIRCUIT CLERK
Earnest Burton
Circuit Clerk
My name is Earnest Burton, and my roots run deep in this place I call home. I am a lifelong resident of Smith County; my parents were the late Everett Burton of New Rhodes, LA and the late Martha Baldwin Dukes of Raleigh, MS. My stepfather was the late Kelly Dukes of Raleigh, MS. I have been married to Renee Horn Burton, also a lifelong resident of Smith County, for 29 years. Her parents are Eleanor Garner Tebo of Mize and the late Pat Horn of Raleigh. Her stepparents were the late Inez Horn of Raleigh and the late Kenneth Tebo of Mize. My wife and I are graduates of Raleigh High School, and both of our children are graduates of Mize High School. Our children are Reagan Burton Patterson and Will Burton. Our daughter, Reagan, is married to Richard Patterson of Ellisville, and they have two children (the joy of our lives), Gabriel -4 yrs. and Avalyn - 3 1/2 mo. Our son, Will, continues to live in Mize, MS. Outside my relationship with Christ, there is nothing I value more than family.
My wife and I are very fortunate to be members of Harmony Baptist Church in Mize, where we serve as young adult leaders. We are very thankful for
church family. We have also been members of the US Armed Forces for over 32 years. I say, we, because I have learned that the spouse serves right alongside the service member. Like many young men and women, I chose to join the MS Army National Guard in an effort to, not only serve my country, but also earn money for college. I received an Associates degree from Jones County Junior College and transferred to Columbia Southern University, where I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Safety and Health.
On December 31, 2018, I retired from military service, and for 28 of those 32 years, I was honored to have served in a career position as Active Guard Reserve. During this time, I was responsible for processing payroll for nearly 100 soldiers, managing and processing medical and personnel records, maintaining multiple facilities, and ensuring the accuracy of records from 31 different organizations. I was also responsible for managing quarterly budgets, briefing senior-level leaders, and working alongside state and local officials regarding budgets, emergency management, and provisions for speaking engagements.
From August 2010 through July 2011, I was called to serve in combat deployment in Afghanistan. Though this was a challenging time for me and my family, I am very thankful to have been able to serve my country in that capacity. I am even more thankful that God saw fit to bring me safely home.
Today I serve as the Director of Education for Southeastern Contracting in Hattiesburg, MS, where I am responsible for collaborating with elected officials and local trades program directors/educators in an effort to develop a construction program designed to prepare students for entry-level construction jobs based on industry standards via the NCCER (National Center for Construction and Education Research). In addition to this, I am responsible for collaborating with project managers and the contracted safety organization in efforts of ensuring the highest safety standards for every Southeastern job site and eliminating all preventable personal
injuries.
I look forward to serving the residents of Smith County as your next Circuit Court Clerk. I am committed to faithfully carrying out the duties of the Circuit Clerk office and to meeting the needs of every Smith County resident. If elected, I will bring to the office the same core values I’ve lived by for over 32 years: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage.
Lastly, I would like to emphasize that voting is a right given to us by every fallen service member, and this should never be taken lightly. I encourage each citizen of Smith County to exercise this right by casting their vote in the upcoming elections. If you, or someone you know is not a registered voter, I urge you to register today or help someone else get registered. Then get out there and vote! I humbly ask for your support on August 6th,
but regardless of who you choose to represent you, just go vote. For more
information, I can be reached via e-mail at burton4circuitclerk@gmail.com
or my Facebook page: Burton for Smith County Circuit Clerk.
