A Cytologist and former Gaston County Commissioner, she now serves as the Secretary of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.

in 2010 she ran for re-election to a 2nd term, but was narrowly defeated in the primary by Kelly Hastings.

In 2020 she ran for the open office of North Carolina Commissioner of Labor being vacated by Cherie Berry.

In the March primary, she came in first in her home county of Gaston, as well as in Craven, Carteret, and Lee Counties, but overall she finished 3rd behind State Representative Josh Dobson (who won the nomination) and Chuck Stanley.

[1] in 2015, Burris-Floyd was appointed to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors.