Staff Member Kenley Butler: Thankful to Experience and Learn Something New Every Day

November 23, 2012

In the spirit of the season of giving thanks in the United States, members of the Monterey Institute community are sharing expressions of gratitude. We conclude our series with longtime staff member Kenley Butler, director of development at the Monterey Institute.

“This Thanksgiving season,” Kenley says, “I am grateful to work for an organization that seeks to bring an added measure of kindness, justice, and peace to the world.”  He feels especially fortunate to work in an environment where you experience and learn something new every day: ”I am fortunate to have daily interactions with incredibly smart, moral people who aspire to make a difference in their respective fields.”

To give an idea of what kind of people he interacts with regularly, Kenley lists a few:
--a researcher who trains government officials in the Middle East to clamp down on illicit trade in dangerous materials that would cause harm to others;
--a professor who takes students to regions in conflict for on-the-ground training in peace building;
--an alumnus who teaches a community about the oceans and sustainable fishing and nurtures a new generation of seafood lovers in the process;
--a student who discovers that her passion for Arabic can soften hearts and bridge misunderstandings;
--a staff member who tirelessly delves into the guts of database operations to keep the administrative wheels turning.

“As director of development, I have the pleasure of sharing the Institute’s accomplishments and success stories with others, who are inspired to contribute and participate in our mission to Be the Solution. Today I am grateful for the passion, commitment, and vision that is so evident here at MIIS.”

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