Hyacinth Burton began professional service as an Auditor at DeVry Institute of Technology in Evanston, Illinois. She assumed the position after obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting, from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1988 and also the Master of Science in Management, with a concentration in Management of Technology in 1997. Her formal academic preparation culminated with a PhD in Information Systems from the College of Engineering and Computing at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

From August 1997 to July 2018 Hyacinth devoted her career to Oakwood University where she served in the capacities of Lab Coordinator, Instructor, and Assistant Professor. She also served as the Chair of the Business and Information Systems Department and the first Dean for the School of Business. Her areas of teaching included Computer Applications, Advanced Computer Applications, Web Design, Multimedia Applications, Telecommunications, Information Resource Management, Principles of Management, Human Resource Management, and Managerial Decision Making. She continues to teach Management Information Systems online in Oakwood University’s adult degree completion program.

Hyacinth is IC3 and MOS certified and served on the Association for Information Systems committee to develop a national Information Technology curriculum. Additionally, Hyacinth is certified in Workplace Big Five, Developmental Dimensions International (DDI), Everything DiSC Workplace, as an Energy Leadership Index Master Practitioner, and Leadership Dynamics Specialist. She also participated in numerous presentations and actively contributed to a few grant-writing teams. Her latest grant proposal was successfully funded by the United Negro College Fund to establish an Entrepreneurship Center in the School of Business at Oakwood University. Further, in her capacity as Dean for the Business School, she directed the Prospectus submission to SACSCOC that led to the approval of its first MBA program in Leadership, and she also directed the Proposal that led to the successful reaffirmation of the School of Business to the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Hyacinth also served at AdventHealth University as the Director of Special Projects where she directed accreditation as well as collaborative projects between AdventHealth University and its corporate affiliate AdventHealth. She currently teaches in the masters programs for the Healthcare Administration department at AdventHealth University as well as facilitates leadership classes for the Leadership Institute at AdventHealth.

Hyacinth has been married for 33 years to Dr. Keith Burton, graduate professor in the Master of Science in Spiritual Care program at AdventHealth University and they are blessed with two children, Sheereen (32) and Kaleem (28).