Blair Burns
Blair Burns
Blair Burns serves as IJM’s Chief Program Officer where he leads the development and execution of the global program strategy to make justice for the poor unstoppable. Blair also leads the development and drives the execution of a global activation strategy that mobilizes key centers of global power and the Global Survivor Network to provide the resources and influence necessary for the transformation of local justice systems.
In previous leadership roles at IJM, Blair directed IJM’s casework operations around the world in Latin America, Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, developing intervention strategies and advocating with local and national authorities; he supervised the HQ Field Operations, Aftercare, Investigations and International Church Mobilization departments. Before that, Blair served as the Vice President of Regional Operations for Southeast Asia. Blair joined IJM Chennai in 2004, and over the course of four and a half years he led a team to rescue more than 700 people from slavery.
Before IJM, Blair worked as an associate lawyer at Bersch, Rhodes & Butler, where his practice focused on business, corporate and elder law. Blair holds a B.A. from James Madison University and a J.D. from Wake Forest University. He lives in the Washington, DC area with his wife, Christina, and their three children.