Toni Burns is a second-generation stagehand and has been a member of IATSE Local 27 since 1994. He has served as the Business Manager of Local B-27 since 2007, negotiating contracts with major institutions including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Rocket Arena, the Cleveland Browns, Great Lakes Science Center, and Playhouse Square Foundation.

In 2024, Burns was elected IATSE’s 9th International Vice President, becoming the first African American man elected to the union’s General Executive Board. He also serves on Local 27’s Executive Board and as a member-at-large of IATSE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.

Burns volunteers his time supporting the next generation of entertainment professionals. Through community outreach and rigging training, he helps people from underrepresented communities develop stagehand skills, pursue union membership, and build careers in the entertainment industry.