Betty Seabrook Burney is the founder and CEO of the “I’M A STAR” Foundation, an organization committed to empowering and equipping youth to become solution-oriented leaders in their schools and communities. The foundation recently won 1st place among America’s largest cities in the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ Childhood Obesity grant awards and was recognized by the NAACP for dedicated civic engagement. In 2024, teen leaders from I’M A STAR were invited to serve as keynote speakers at the White House, addressing Black youth mental health and Black youth suicide, while also presenting solutions to combat these pressing issues.

Burney is a former Duval County School Board member, serving from 2004 to 2012, with the distinction of being a two-time Board Chairman (2006, 2011) and two-time Vice Chairman (2005, 2010). Under her leadership, Duval County achieved the milestone of removing all chronically low-performing schools from Florida’s intervene list. She currently serves as a trainer for the Center for Reform of School Systems, working with school boards and superintendents nationwide to provide governance strategies that enhance student achievement and close academic gaps.

Burney has received numerous education-related honors, including WJCT Public Television’s American Graduate Champion Award and the United Negro College Fund’s Educator of the Year Award. She has served on various boards and is currently a member of the Journey Forward Board and the Forward Empowerment Foundation Board. A proud graduate of the University of Miami, she earned her B.A., followed by a Master of Arts in Public Administration from Northern Illinois University.