After graduating, Charles (Charlie) Burns went to work for PPG Industries, Chemical Division, in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  His initial assignment was in Central Engineering as a Process Engineer.  Within three months, he was moved to Technical Advisor in Operations and served in that capacity in several operating units.  He was later assigned as Foreman responsible for Chlorinated Hydrocarbons Shipping and later for the Distillation Unit of a Chlorinated Hydrocarbon Plant. In 1976, Burns joined the Arabian American Oil Company (Aramco) in Saudi Arabia and was assigned as an Operations Engineer.  He worked for Aramco, which was renamed Saudi Aramco, for 22 years, 20 of which were spent in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  During his In-Kingdom stay, he held positions as Operations Superintendent and Engineering Superintendent in numerous facilities including Oil Production Operations, Water Injection Operations, Gas Plant Engineering and Refinery Engineering.  In addition, he spent time as Consultant in the Corrosion Control Department of Central Engineering.  His final position in Saudi Aramco was as Senior Operations Representative for design of a large gas processing facility in the Hawiyah area of the Ghawar Oil Field.  During the preliminary design, Burns was assigned to work at the Parsons Engineering Company in Pasadena, California. Burns is a native of El Dorado, Arkansas.  He and his wife Pamela live in Glendale, California.  During their years in Saudi Arabia, they traveled to many countries, their favorites being in the Far East.  They consider climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro as one of the highlights of their travels.  Burns currently manages his personal investments and is an active trader in the stock and options markets.  His interest and hobbies include woodworking, photography and travel.  He has been active with Habitat for Humanity in the Los Angeles area.

Arkansas Academy of Chemical Engineers, 2013.