Michael L. Burns is a certified financial planner and assistant vice president of investments at Wachovia Securities in Athens, Georgia. His position involves financial planning, retirement planning, stock and bond investments, and insurance.

Michael received a B.S.A. in Agribusiness from the University of Georgia in 1996. He later earned a C.F.P. degree. While in college, he was involved in his church and treasurer of his hunting club. He was recognized for “harvesting the most whitetail deer in one quarter.” Michael took the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economic's Futures and Option Markets class which included a stock market game in which he did well. He made a lot of “fake” money in the game. Michael states, “Dr. Turner was fantastic.” The class and working as an intern at IJL Wachovia have helped Michael in his professional career. He advises current students at the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics to “do an internship somewhere you may like to work. It sometimes leads to a job offer if you impress the employer.”

Michael's greatest accomplishments since college graduation have been getting married to his wife, Allison, and earning his C.F.P. degree. He is currently involved in the Athens Sertoma Club, which benefits the speech and hearing impaired of Athens. He is also the banquet chairman of Quail Unlimited of NE Georgia.