Charlotte Burton
HMDA Compliance Analyst, Columbus, GA
As with many of our other spotlights for Black History Month, we encounter exceptional humans seeking an authentic life experience. Charlotte Burton is no exception to that.
She looks for strength in God first, but Charlotte confided in us that she seeks out mentors, or sisterhood packs, as she calls them.
“Each pack has a different meaning. I have a mother pack when I need strength in parenting. I have a professional pack for power in navigating my professional journey, and my sisterhood pack strengthens me when I need downtime and conversations.”
She doesn’t forget about her family either. They’re their own pack because, “my mother, brother, sister, and children have been there to push me along and encourage me through everything I have been through in life.”
Charlotte surrounds herself with the resources she needs to be successful, but also has a living, breathing reminder of her inspiration to others, in her daughter.
“When I think about my greatest cheerleader, I must give credit to my daughter. As I look around my office, I am reminded, through her messages, that I am inspiring her even when I do not realize she is watching me. In every direction I turn, there is an inspirational message that she has left for me. Whether it is centered around work, completing my Master of Social Work degree in July 2022, or family life, taking care of my 86-year-old mother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Those messages have shown me that she is inspired by what she sees, which speaks volumes to me.”
Charlotte also recognizes the importance of having others who believe in you, who push you forward, and who help you overcome obstacles—even when one of those obstacles may be yourself.
“Many years ago, one of my professional mentors, Ken Dawson, when he was director of loan review at Synovus, sat me down in his office and said, ‘I believe in you,’ without saying those words exactly. He approached me for a role in his department, and as he talked, I kept thinking I wasn’t ready for the change and the challenge.”
As Charlotte stated all the reasons the role wouldn’t be a good fit for her, Ken refused to accept no for an answer.
“For every excuse I gave, he explained how we would tackle it together. I didn’t realize it, but he was interviewing me for the position. From that moment on, I started believing in myself. That was my first experience in saying, ‘You know, I have a great boss, someone who really believes in me.’”
When looking through the lens of Black History Month, a person of color that inspires Charlotte to turn an obstacle into a growth opportunity is Amanda Gorman. Gorman, a poet and author of “The Hill We Climb,” inspired Charlotte because of her perspective.
“Even at a young age, she shows us that although it’s not a perfect world, there are still opportunities where we can make a change.”
We hope Charlotte’s inspiring words remind each of you never to take no for an answer:
- Remember the WHY for the things you do.
- Use your words to inspire others.
- Don’t limit yourself by making excuses.