Her Story
About La Keisha
La Keisha Riley Burton, MPM, CSM, is a Senior Project Manager with more than 10 years of experience leading technology and business transformation initiatives across the telecommunications, government, healthcare, life sciences, energy, utilities, and transportation industries. She is passionate about helping organizations solve complex challenges through technology, process improvement, and strategic program delivery.
With a strong foundation in Salesforce consulting and implementation, La Keisha specializes in Agile project management, stakeholder engagement, CRM transformation, and delivering solutions that align business goals with measurable outcomes. She holds multiple Salesforce certifications, including Administrator, Service Cloud Consultant, Experience Cloud Consultant, and AI Associate, as well as her Certified Scrum Master credential.
Her journey into project management was anything but traditional. Originally pursuing a career in education, she transitioned into financial services after completing her student teaching experience. While earning her graduate degree, she discovered project management and quickly recognized it as a field that combined her strengths in leadership, organization, and problem-solving. She gained valuable experience through nonprofit work before expanding into government, healthcare, life sciences, telecommunications, media, and transportation, ultimately building a diverse career that prepared her for enterprise consulting and large-scale technology delivery.
Today, La Keisha serves as a Senior Project Manager, where she leads cross-functional teams and oversees complex Salesforce and IT programs. She is responsible for aligning project execution with client objectives while managing scope, budgets, timelines, risks, and stakeholder expectations. Known for her collaborative leadership style, she focuses on creating strong partnerships that drive successful project outcomes.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, La Keisha is deeply committed to serving others. She is the founder of the Levi J. Burton Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting parents and families navigating pregnancy and infant loss. Through advocacy, resources, and community events—including an annual 5K held in memory of her son—she works to provide hope, support, and awareness for families facing grief.
Whether leading enterprise initiatives, mentoring others, or serving her community, La Keisha brings the same dedication, resilience, and purpose to every aspect of her life. As a wife, mother, project leader, and advocate, she strives to make a meaningful impact both professionally and personally.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with La Keisha
01What do you attribute your success to?
My success has been shaped first and foremost by my faith in God, which keeps me grounded and guides my decisions. I’ve also been incredibly supported by my family, who have provided a strong foundation throughout my journey. In addition, I’ve been fortunate to have a great network of friends, mentors, and coworkers, along with opportunities to work for outstanding organizations. All of these relationships and experiences have played a major role in my personal and professional growth.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of career advice I’ve received is to “Think Outside of The Box.” Early in my career, I was always looking for a clearly defined career path. No matter where I worked, whether at CitiFinancial, Chase, CenturyLink, or IBM, there never seemed to be a roadmap that someone could point me to and say, “Follow this path.” After deciding to move away from pursuing a career in elementary education, I found myself at a crossroads without a clear next step. I knew I would need to go to grad school, but I wasn’t sure what the focus should be. That moment challenged me to rethink my future and explore opportunities outside of the path I had originally envisioned.
After talking with my family, my mom mentioned Project Management as a potential career path. After doing more research and getting feedback from family and friends, it started to feel like a great fit for me, even though I had never heard of the profession before that conversation. The more I learned about it, the more it just made sense. Looking back, that willingness to explore an unconventional path changed the course of my career. What started as a search for direction led me to a profession that perfectly matched my strengths and passions. Years later, I’m still doing work that I love.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
AFRAID? DO IT ANYWAYS!
Fear is part of the process, not a sign to stop. Most of the time, it shows up right before something meaningful is about to happen. You don’t need perfect timing or total confidence to begin. You just need the willingness to try. Action builds confidence, not the other way around, so move even when you’re unsure.
TAKE UP THE SPACE!
You don’t have to shrink yourself to fit into any room. Your voice, your ideas, and your presence belong there just as much as anyone else. There will be moments where you feel out of place, but that doesn’t mean you are. Show up fully, speak with confidence, and if the seat isn’t there yet, create it.
NETWORK! NETWORK! NETWORK!
Opportunities are often built through relationships. It’s not just about what you know, but who you connect with along the way. Be intentional about meeting people, staying engaged, and following up. One conversation can lead to doors you didn’t even know existed.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide me are positivity, accountability, and collaboration. I strive to maintain a positive mindset even in challenging situations because it influences how problems are solved and how people feel in the process. Accountability is important to me because I believe in taking ownership of my actions and outcomes. I also strongly value collaboration, because I believe we achieve better results when we work together rather than individually.
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