David M. Burton was born in Willingboro, NJ, to Lafayette and Yvonne Burton of North Philadelphia, PA. The Burton family traces its roots back to Sweden and Mozambique, entering the US through slavery in Snow Hill, NC, and Americus, Georgia. The Burtons have deep military roots extending back to the Civil War and have fought in most US military engagements since the late 1800s. The youngest of six, Mr. Burton's siblings have served in the Navy and Air Force, himself a Marine Corps Veteran.

Mr. Burton attended The King’s Christian High School (TKCS) in Cherry Hill, NJ where he lettered in soccer, track and field, and basketball. After high school, Mr. Burton attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ where he majored in biology and was a member of Army ROTC. During the first week of 9/11, Mr. Burton and two of his friends voluntarily went to Ground Zero to help in the rescue efforts. A few months later, Mr. Burton left Rutgers University and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

Though initial training began at Parris Island SC, Mr. Burton quickly found himself stationed in San Diego CA. During his time in the Marine Corps, Mr. Burton primarily served as a Counterintelligence / Human Intelligence Specialist and DoD Interrogator. Mr. Burton had a successful military career and was promoted to all but one rank meritoriously. This included a meritorious promotion during combat operations in Iraq. Mr. Burton deployed three times to Al-Anbar Province, Iraq, and spent most of his time in the city of Ramadi, considered one of the most dangerous places in Iraq. After his military service, Mr. Burton continued to work in the intelligence field for the U.S. government. During this time, he led several Intelligence offices/teams throughout the Middle East and Southwest Asia. Mr. Burton made a career change in the mid 2010s and has since worked in the aerospace and defense industries.

In November of 2021, Mr. Burton was nominated and confirmed by San Diego’s council as District 3’s representative for The Citizens' Advisory Board on Police Practices (CAB). CAB is a San Diego body dedicated to reviewing and evaluating serious complaints brought by the public against officers of the San Diego Police Department. This board plays a crucial role in maintaining transparency and accountability within the police force, ensuring that public concerns and complaints are thoroughly examined and addressed.

Mr. Burton is a graduate of National University and holds a BBA with a concentration in Alternative Dispute Resolution (summa cum laude) and an MBA with a concentration in Organizational Leadership (with distinction). Mr. Burton also holds certificates from Harvard University in higher education teaching, Cornell University in regulatory and antitrust law, and Wharton in digital marketing. Mr. Burton is an ABD (All but Dissertation) PhD candidate at Liberty University, majoring in public administration.