David L. Burton

Born and raised in Ash Grove, Mo., David L. Burton is proud to call the Ozarks home. He has a master's degree in communication from Drury University (2001). That degree compliments his graduation from Ash Grove High School (1984) and his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and communication/journalism from Drury University (1988) in Springfield, Mo.

Over the years, Burton has received numerous writing awards from the National Cooperative Communicators Association, the Missouri Press Association, the Springfield Writer's Guild and the National Association of Cooperative Extension. In 1992, he was the American recipient of Hazel Brannon Smith Scholarship for journalism excellence from the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. He served for six years on the Greene County Historic Sites Board, during which time he researched the one-room schools in the county. David is also the founder and director of the Missouri Historic Schools Alliance, a statewide group dedicated to preserving, restoring and using the one-room schools that remain standing in Missouri.

David is the author of hundreds of published non-fiction and fiction stories along with thousands of articles that have been published in both local, regional and national magazines, newspapers and blogs. Every week he writes 10 media releases for University of Missouri Extension and three newspaper columns, including "Ag in the Ozarks" which has appeared in the Springfield News-Leader since 2003.

David also has other books available through Amazon.com including books published in 2013:

"Prayers for my Public School" (non-fiction),

"Driving Tour of One-Room Schools in the Ozarks" (non-fiction),

"Using Social Media in Disaster Recovery" (non-fiction),

"News Writing for the Non-Journalist (non-fiction).

His previous work, "A History of One-Room Schools in Greene County, Mo" became available on Amazon in 2012. He also published a collection of stories, "Short Stories from the Ash Grove," that was available on Amazon from 2014 to 2021.

He currently is working on two books related to neighbors, neighboring and loving where you live.

David's writings on professional topics have appeared in numerous magazines and professional journals. David is a member of the Missouri Press Association, Southwest Missouri chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, Springfield Writer's Guild and the Missouri Writer's Guild.

David and his wife live in Republic, Mo., with their two children, and are active members of Ridgecrest Baptist Church in Springfield, Mo.