SPO Connection Life-Time Achievement Honoree
Sandra Elaine Burton
Founder’s Tribute to Sandra Burton
IN RECOGNITION OF SANDRA ELAINE BURTON
Founding Mentor and Community Builder
SPO Connection Youth Athletic Association
On behalf of SPO Connection Youth Athletic Association, I am proud to honor and thank Reverend Sandra Elaine Burton for her outstanding early support, enduring mentorship, and unshakable commitment to the success of our youth and communities.
Sandra, your leadership was never confined to one title or one location. Whether launching the Immanuel Community Center or organizing tutoring programs that met students exactly where they were, you showed us how community transformation begins with service and belief.
You saw potential in every student.
You raised the bar for every volunteer.
You built not just programs—but people.
Your dedication to mentoring, your ability to inspire others into action, and your belief that “all children have the ability to learn” became a guiding light for SPO Connection’s mission. You reminded us that academic support, spiritual leadership, and STEM opportunities are not separate efforts—but part of one powerful movement toward equity and opportunity.
Thank you, Sandra, for being a cornerstone in the foundation of our shared vision.
With admiration and appreciation,
Charles King
Founder, SPO Connection Youth Athletic Association
My Story
Sandra Elaine Burton is a Systems Engineer at The Boeing Company in Oklahoma City, OK., and a former Digital Equipment Corporation Engineer in the Storage Technology Group in Springfield, MA. Throughout her twenty-plus years with Boeing, she has supported a variety of military and internal Boeing projects, such as fighters, tankers, trainers, unmanned systems, airborne radar systems, and executive transport systems. Sandra’s work has included analyzing complex military defense issues, evaluating customer requirements, and performing defense market assessments, which she presented at industry-wide conferences.
In 2001, while living in St. Louis, Sandra Burton founded Immanuel Community Center (ICC), a non-profit organization committed to enriching and improving people’s lives. She was also the director, organizer, and a tutor for the ICC tutoring program. She recruits volunteers, manages the budget, mentors students, encourages parental involvement, organizes field trips, obtains computer equipment and educational software, and ensures refreshments are provided for the students. Although the focus of the program is to encourage students in grades K-12 to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) careers, it was discovered many of them lacked basic reading and math skills. Sandra adapted the program to simultaneously help students with the basic skills while also emphasizing STEM.
Sandra sets high expectations for both the volunteer tutors and students. Sandra believes all children have the ability to learn. If a student is having difficulty grasping certain concepts, the staff is challenged to become creative and find ways to present the material in a manner the student can comprehend. Sandra inspires others to become involved in the cause. She has recruited retired teachers, engineers, health professionals, and fellow employees to donate their time to ICC and the tutoring program. Upon hearing about the tutoring program, coworkers have donated educational materials to ICC.
Burton earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University, a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University, a master’s degree in General Theological Studies from Covenant Theological Seminary, and a master’s degree in Management from Fontbonne University.
Reverend Sandra Burton is an ordained minister who serves on the ministerial staff of Avery Chapel AME Church, “The Oldest Black Church in Oklahoma.” She continues to teach, mentor, and tutor another generation as she spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ. Sandra resides in Oklahoma City, working for Boeing Defense and Space & Security. She and her husband, Stanley, have two adult children, Elise and Sterling.