Experience: Maxine H. Burton is the founder, president and COO of burton + BURTON. Since 1982, she has established her company as a leader in the balloon and gift industry. Through her diligence, burton + BURTON has become the largest supplier of balloons and related gift items in the United States, employing approximately three hundred employees, and enjoying a worldwide customer base. In 2000, Burton successfully expanded her product line to include home décor accessories. Burton is an active member of the Committee of 200 and the Society of International Business Fellows. She is currently serving her third term as a member of the Georgia Ports Authority, is a trustee for the University of Georgia Arch Foundation, and is a member of the board of directors for First American Bank and Trust. Burton is a native Georgian, earned BS and master's degrees from the University of Georgia, and resides in Athens, Georgia. She is married to Robert E. Burton, chief executive officer of burton + BURTON, has two grown children and three grandchildren.