Industrial Electronics Technology Degree, 1993

Looking back, Richard Burton says when he graduated from Tri-County in 1993, he felt a true sense of accomplishment. “I was proud of myself. I had learned viable, valuable skills and I have been able to use them every day for the past 27 years.”

He began taking Tri-County quality assurance classes while he was a senior at McDuffie High School in Anderson, earning a certificate before entering the industrial electronics technology (IET) program in 1991. After graduating in 1993, he began his career as a maintenance technician for Foundry and Steel and went on to work as a production technician for Bosch, a maintenance technician for Owens Corning, and as a maintenance technician for Dietze and Schell, Inc.

From 2014 to 2018, he was a machine technology and mechatronics instructor at Anderson School District Five. He joined our engineering and industrial technology team in 2018 as a full-time instructor in the mechatronics program. He previously served as an adjunct mechatronics instructor.

“This was a good change for me. I enjoy teaching on the college level, interacting with students who are dedicated and focused and have specific goals,” said Richard. His students recognize and respect the knowledge and experience he gained while working in industry. “They tell me they like learning from someone who has been there.”

The Burton family continues to carry on the tradition of attending Tri-County. Richard’s wife, Tina, is a recruitment support specialist and campus visit coordinator for the College’s recruitment, admissions and orientation department. She recently was awarded the Presidential Medallion for Staff Excellence. Tina is a 1994 alumna of our office systems technology program (now administrative office technology). Their son, Kyle, is 18 and entered the mechatronics program this fall with a full semester of college credits by earning a technical operators I certificate through dual enrollment’s technical career pathways. 

Their daughter, Jena, is a 2018 administrative office technology graduate. She worked here until she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. Their son, Justin, 16, is a student at Westside High School.