Biography

Personal:

• Born and Raised in Waterbury
• Occupation:  Computer Software Designer
• Member of Grace Baptist Church
• Son of the Late Wilkes & Melvia Pierce Butler
• Married to Jacqueline Newsome Butler
• Two children: Marc and Alexandria

Education and School Involvement:

• Attended Driggs, Wilby High School, Central Connecticut
• State University, and the Computer Processing Institute (CPI).
• Played basketball at Driggs, Wilby, and CCSU.
• Played football for Wilby and was Co-captain of the Track team.
• Made the “All-City” Track Team and tied two school records at Wilby for the High Jump and Pole Vault events.

Community Service/Accomplishments:

• Served on the Board of West Grove Association (now Need Action Council) as a teen.
  Served on the Executive Board of the NAACP (Waterbury branch) from the late 1970’s to the early 80’s.  During which time working on many civil rights issues as well as voter registration and voter education.  Was presented a Legislative Leadership Award by the NAACP in May of 2000. Became a “Paid Life Member” of the NAACP in 2001.
• Participated in the1999 Earth Day clean up of the Crownbrook Neighborhood.
  Previously participated in the Earth Day clean up in Bunker Hill and this year  
  participated in the Earth Day clean up in the Buck’s Hill Neighborhood.
  Participated in the 2001 neighborhood improvement day in the WOW neighborhood.
  Former member of the Bunker Hill Neighborhood Association.
• Current and active member of the Buck’s Hill Community Club board of directors.
• Participated in the Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministry Hunger walk for the past
  three years. Also participated as a speaker at their non-violence candlelight vigil.
• Participated in two forums to address police brutality.  As one of the panel members
  and a city Police Commissioner was able to provide information on how to avoid confrontations with police.
• Served as “Master of Ceremony” for the 1998 Grace Baptist Church Men’s Day program.
• Inducted into the Pearl Street Hall of Fame in June of 2000.
  Selected as the “2002 Black Mayor for a Day” by the Afro-American Black Mayor for
  a Day Committee.
• As President of the Wtby. Black Democratic Club has led club to support many Democrat candidates get elected since 1995 as well as placing a record number
  of Blacks on several city boards. Led club to become a NAACP Life Member in 1999.
• Former member of the Wtby. Chapter of the American Red Cross Bd. of Directors.
  As a volunteer on the Development committee worked on fundraisers in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003 that generated tens of thousands of dollars for the Red Cross which provides so much to support for the entire city of Waterbury.

Accomplishments as Alderman:

• Served on the Civil Service, Charter Revision, Inter-governmental, and Community Development sub-committees of the Board of Aldermen. Worked on issues from job descriptions, pay scales, and city worker complaints from the Civil Service Board, revisions to the City Charter, workshops on how the Community Development Block grant money would be used and the all encompassing Inter-governmental sub-committee which has an impact on various aspects of almost every city department.
• As an Alderman sponsored a resolution to put an end to the Waterbury refuse workers working on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday after learning the city had allowed
  it to happen on the 2001 observance of the holiday. Also saving overtime cost to city.
• Worked with the NAACP and a sub-committee of the Board of Alderman to have
  North Elm St. dedicated in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Supported legislation to form the W.O.W. NRZ and Willow-Plaza NRZ. Also, supported legislation to form the ITZ Zone to bring new businesses downtown.
• Supported the Good Jobs Partnership program to get a city ordinance, which would enable minorities to get training and earn meaningful jobs with a living wage.  The support came in the form as an individual, president of the Wtby. Black Democratic Club, and in the form of an affirmative vote as a member of the Board of Aldermen.
• Sponsored resolution which passed to restore school nurses to every city school.

Political Service/Accomplishments:

• Elected Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Town Committee (2002)
• Member of the Democratic Town Committee from 72nd district (2000-Present)
• Waterbury delegate to the 1998, 2000, 2002 & 2004 State Democratic Conventions.
• Elected to the Board of Aldermen (1997), (1999), (2003) & (2005)
• Member of Democratic Town Committee from 73rd district (1998-1999)
• Commissioner on the Waterbury Police Commission Board (1996-1997)
• Connecticut Delegate to the (1996) Democratic National Convention
• Served on the Executive Board of the NAACP (Waterbury branch)
• Current member of the Connecticut Assoc. of Police Commissioners (PCAC)
• Elected to seven terms as President of the Wtby. Black Democratic Club
• Elected to the Democratic Town Committee in the 72nd district (1980)
• First recipient of the NAACP(Wtby. branch) “Dr. James Lee Scholarship Award” (1972)
• Currently serving his third term in the General Assembly as Housing Committee Chairman