DOUGLAS — Cochise College Vice President for Administration Kevin Butler has been named this year’s Outstanding Chief Business Officer in the region by the Community College Business Officers.
Butler, who has worked at the college since 2007, was nominated for the award by his fellow business administrators in each of the nine other community college districts in Arizona, and he received the award while attending the CCBO’s 29th Annual International Conference in Louisville, Ky., over the weekend.
Kevin Butler
“We are extremely proud of Kevin,” said Cochise College President J.D. Rottweiler. “To be nominated for this award by his peers in Arizona speaks highly to the respect they hold for him and the skills he brings Cochise College. I am pleased to see that a national organization has recognized his leadership, commitment and dedication.”
Arizona community college districts are within the CCBO’s Region 2, which spans the southwestern part of the country. Last year’s region winner was David Bea of the Pima Community College district.
According to its website, CCBO’s mission is to provide educational and professional support, networking opportunities and other resources for community college business officers and other administrative professionals. Butler said the annual conference helps the organization do just that, and it sits apart from other higher education conferences he attends that include schools outside of community colleges.
“This group, we all have a lot of common, because we’re all dealing with community college,” Butler said. “They’re very different (from universities), and definitely different from private schools. A lot of the sessions you attend, after the presentation, everyone stays and there are discussions, a lot of people sitting around, continuing conversation. I find it really engaging.”
Butler, a Bisbee native and Cochise College graduate, worked in education finance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Arizona prior to Cochise. He never assumed switching to a community college would mean an easier job, in just four years at the Douglas Campus, he’s implemented numerous practical financing changes while overseeing substantial projects.
His first task on the job was a bit of a doozy. The general obligation bond election to help finance campus facilities had failed, leaving Butler to hunt down alternatives.
“I was kind of held responsible for $53 million worth of construction in a rather condensed period of time,” he said with a laugh. “Three years is by far the most aggressive master facilities project the district has ever undertaken in almost 50 years of existence.”
He’s also proud of the Douglas Campus’ two solar projects, which has saved the college on heating, cooling and electricity costs since the first system appeared in 2006 and the second just last year.
Butler said he hopes to return to Cochise with several new ideas from the conference, not only from vendors and presenters, but also from numerous discussions with his peers.
And the big award? He’s humbled.
“I have to say, Arizona is very fortunate to have the caliber of business officers that represent their community college districts,” Butler said. “These are some sharp people. It was just an honor to be nominated by them, let alone receive the award.”