Clovis businessman honored

Clovis businessman and city commissioner James Burns has been given a national award from the Association of Defense Communities.

Burns is one of 10 people from across the country who received a Defense Community Champion award from the ADC at its recent national summit in Arlington, Va.

The award recognizes those who the ADC determines excelled at creating military-community collaborations that support mission readiness and quality of life for service members, military families, and veterans according to an ADC news release.

"Our national security successes and community connections rely on individuals like James who know how to develop relationships that will help their communities and installations support our military families," ADC president Bob Ross said.

Burns said he was humbled by the recognition.

"But the receipt of this award would not be complete without paying tribute to the many others who made these milestones a reality," Burns said. "This award stands for the united spirit of everyone working to support Cannon, meeting challenges together, and continuing to make Clovis a defense community where our military family can thrive."

Clovis Curry County Chamber of Commerce executive director Ernie Kos described how she has seen Burns help the relationship between Clovis and the personnel at Cannon Air Force Base.

"In my 27 years with the Chamber, I have witnessed James' limitless generosity when dedicating time to improving the quality of life for our military community," Kos said. "He is a perfect example of how making seemingly simple connections can make all the difference in our joint effort to serve our military community."