Looking back at his life, Fred Burton says his father instilled within him the very values he holds dear today, including a commitment to service and a wish to make a difference. “My dad gave me a better start in life than he ever had and instilled in me a sense of duty and service. He truly believed that you could make a difference. I’m not sure how much difference I have made in my career, but I’ve certainly tried,” he says.
Burton began his career in law enforcement for the U.S. Secret Service and later worked as a police officer in Montgomery County, Md. From 1985 to 1999, he was a special agent with the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) and was eventually promoted to the Deputy Chief of the DSS Counterterrorism and Protective Intelligence Division.