Richard L. Burns

Richard L. Burns is a retired television and advertising executive (a real-life "Mad Man"), who put the smile on the PSA Airplanes and helped engineer a cultural icon- the Fruit of the Loom models. He is an authority on retail, accountable and measurable advertising, and developed the first viable system of local television advertising and sales for national advertisers. Burns was a management consultant, promulgated fund-raising for non-profits and conceived and produced a successful international educational children's TV series called "With It."

At 38, Richard was struck down with a cerebral hemorrhage and declared dead. Richard miraculously regained consciousness and was given a second chance at life. He became a spokesperson for National Stroke Association and wrote and published his memoir, "Live or Die: A Stroke of Good Luck", which he calls "a handbook of hope." The book is a wise and witty story of his long and slow recovery and resurrection in his own words. It chronicles life after stroke and offers readers advice on how to come out victorious, after suffering a major illness. It is also about what he learned from the ordeal and how his life and values changed with each step he took to heal himself.

Richard is responsible for the rescue of animals in national disasters. He is the recipient of numerous professional and service awards and is a graduate of Stanford University.