About Us

Community Service:

Indiana Congressional Coordinator - Parkinson's Action Network & Member - Young Parkinson's Support Group

Member - Learning Disabilities Association, Indiana

President - Board of Directors Stratford Glen Home Owners Association, Indianapolis

Founder and Coordinator - ALADN (A Learning and Attention Differences Network) non profit support group with national clients. Brevard and Hendersonville (Parent and Adult groups), Greenville, SC and Spartanburg, SC

President and Coordinator - Western North Carolina, Greenville, SC and Spartanburg, SC CHADD Chapters (Children & Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder)

Past President and Coordinator - Central Indiana CHADD Chapter

Past President - ADDS, an adult support group

Volunteer Advocacy Network Representative - Greenville, SC CHADD Chapter,

Graduate - Leadership Greenville

Graduate - Russell Barkley "Defiant Child" & "Children with ADD" training

Graduate - Reed Martin J.D. "Advocacy in Compliance with IDEA"

Member - National Attention Deficit Disorder Association

Past Member - Learning Disabilities Association, North Carolina

Past Member - COVOH (an advocacy group for citizens with disabilities)

Past Member - NBC local affiliate Community Advisory Board (Education & Health Committees)

Past Treasurer - Greenville Association for Retarded Children

Past Member - Board of Directors, Greenville YMCA Youth Soccer Program

Past Coach - Greenville County Recreation Youth Softball & Basketball

Past Coach - Ransburg Little league

Past Member - Board of Directors, Wellington Green Community

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Article appearing in "ADDitional Information " a newsletter for ADD adults.Titled "Blessings in Disguise".

Written by Ed Burns, Principal of Success Coach, LLC.

I earnestly believe that my Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) has been a true blessing and a positive influence in my having a very successful life. I didn’t know about ADHD until long after the major struggles to succeed in my career were over. It was at a time when my Grandson was diagnosed that I began to recognize that my Grandmother, my five children, now my seven Grandchildren and I, all have ADHD. After Advocating for hundred's of Children and Coaching hundred's of Adults, I understand the impact of my co-morbidities in Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Learning Disabilities (LD) in Reading Comprehension and Written Expression.

As a child and particularly as an adolescent, I was very frustrated when I knew I was trying my very best and still not succeeding like my peers. I often heard, "If Edward would apply himself, he could accomplish anything he made his mind up to do.", "Actually he is just plain lazy", "He is wasting his God given gifts of high intelligence and creativity" and "He is not going to amount to much if he doesn’t work harder". I couldn’t recount the three times table in third grade. I failed my favorite language. I planned on going to med school and yet failed Biology (another favorite subject). I was a "terrible" student and feared that I would drop out of school and become a juvenile delinquent. Every one of my "advocates" feared and predicted the same outcome.

At the end of my Junior year of Pre-Med, I concluded there were issues that prevented me from accomplishing what I set out to do. I didn’t know what those issues were. Perhaps I was just fulfilling the prophecy that I heard so frequently. So I left school and joined the Army (I would have been drafted had I not joined). I was a radio operator and a "college kid" (only in for two years). My company had a dismal record of presenting candidates for "Soldier of the Month". In its fifteen-year history, it had never won the award. Some one suggested with a snide laugh, that "we get the college kid to do it". Everyone else had given up. With my "I’ll show you" oppositional demeanor and my strong ADHD desire to succeed, I gave it a try. Well, I not only won "Soldier of the Month" for my company’s group; I won it for all of the Command (California to Alaska). That was a turning point in my life. I realized that if I could dream about what I wanted, I could develop a strategy to get it done. It wouldn’t be the way everybody else did it. It would be a way that was uniquely mine. A way that would test my creative talents and my non-traditional intelligence.

I went back to school after the Army and embarked on careers I never thought imaginable. I became Chief Executive of three industrial companies (all part of Fortune 20 companies), Chief Operating Officer and President of and Modernization and Technology Development organizations for the states of Indiana and New York, the President of the Technology Advantage Group (a business and technology development consulting firm) and the Principal of Educational Advocates and Success Coaches. I’ve traveled the world, lived in many wonderful places, met great people, earned a good income and count my blessings everyday. Including my "Blessing in Disguise".

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Brief Chronological Career Resume - Edward T. Burns

Success Coach, LLC. Principal 1988 – current

An business that provides Coaching, Advocacy and Motivation for people with Educational, Career, Behavioral and ADHD/ODD/LD & other developmental issues.

Technology Advantage Group, Corp. Principal 1988 – 1998

A consulting business specializing in product to market and technology development.

Hudson Valley Technology Development Center CEO 1997 – 1998

A technology development center whose mission is to improve the competitiveness of New York State and in particular the Hudson Valley region's business.

Indiana Business Modernization & Technology Corp. V. P. 1991 – 1997

Indiana’s Science & Technology Corp. whose mission was changed from providing seed capital to a business & technology assistance organization.

ITT Hoffman Specialties Division CEO & General Mgr. 1985 – 1990

An ITT Company - manufacturer of regulating valves, steam traps and system control valves for the HVAC market.

Ameron, Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Pipe Division CEO 1980 – 1985

An International Company - manufacturer and worldwide marketing of high performance reinforced pipe & fittings for Petroleum, Pharmaceutical, Chemical, Waste Treatment & General Manufacturing Markets.

Polymer Industries, Inc. CEO 1961 – 1980

A Philip Morris Company - manufacturer and worldwide marketing of specialty polymers and chemicals for the Textile Manufacturing, Packaging, Coatings, Adhesives, Finishing & Binder Markets.

Other Positions held: Marketing Manager, Director of Operations, Manufacturing Manger, Technical Operations Manager, Engineering Manager and Plants Manager.