For more than 35 years, David Burks has kept the Town of Collierville beautiful through his maintenance work both on and off the Town Square and with his infectious smile! Burks has been invested in The Town in some capacity since he and his family moved to Collierville in 1968. In 1980, he took the job to assist with town maintenance, wearing many hats including working animal control, landscaping, janitorial work, reading water meters and more recently, collecting recyclables around town.

“I love my job, I really do. People tell me all the time, you’ve done enough time now to retire, but I don’t want to retire. When I see something that needs done, I’m going to do it,” says Burks.

It was early one morning around 3AM on July 13th 2014, as Burks recalls, he was watering the hanging baskets that decorate our beloved Square when he noticed a familiar smell coming from one of the buildings. Burks had served as a volunteer firefighter years before and knew from the smell of smoke, he had to take action.

“I went to investigate. I checked Hewlett & Dunn and they were fine. I looked in Square Beans and they were fine. But when I looked in Dyer’s restaurant window, just long enough to see what I wanted to see, it was a cloud of smoke. So I stepped aside and called the police dispatcher… I was just glad I could be at the right place at the right time.”

During the winter months you can find Burks serving at the Linda Kerley Senior Center keeping the gymnasium spotless for senior activities. Once things warm up this spring, Burks will be out working around town once again doing ‘what he loves’. If you happen to see him out riding his powder blue cruiser bicycle, be sure to thank him for his many years of devoted service to our community!