Brennan Center Names John Anthony Butler as New COO
The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is pleased to welcome John Anthony (Tony) Butler as its new Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Butler will be responsible for all of the organization’s administrative, financial and operational activities, as well as oversee its strategic planning process.
Contact: Erik Opsal, erik.opsal@nyu.edu, 646–292–8356; Jeanine Plant-Chirlin, jeanine.plant-chirlin@nyu.edu, 646–292–8322
New York, NY – The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is pleased to welcome John Anthony (Tony) Butler as its new Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Butler will be responsible for all of the organization’s administrative, financial and operational activities, as well as oversee its strategic planning process.
“Tony is a remarkably impressive person,” said Michael Waldman, Brennan Center executive director. “He has deep experience in finance, operations, budgeting, and general organizational management. We are so lucky to have such a high-quality leader as we face this difficult economic moment — both as a nation and an institution. We are thrilled he is on board. I look forward to working with him.”
“Throughout my career, I have served organizations that worked ‘on the ground’ on many of the Brennan Center’s core issues,” said Butler. “I am excited to bring whatever capacities I have to an organization that tackles these issues in the manner Brennan does — and with a group of so many talented individuals. I look forward to working with the team here to ensure that the foundation of this important institution is strengthened so it can achieve its goals to help improve our democracy.”
Most recently, Butler served as Chief Financial Officer for Legal Services NYC, a $50 million organization that does vital work providing free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers. In this role, he managed a 12-person team and was responsible for directing all financial planning, monitoring, reporting and fiscal operations for entities that receive government and private contracts, corporate and private foundation grants, contributions, and fee-for-service income.
Previously, Butler founded a management consultant business and served as Vice President for Finance and Administration at the National Urban League. In the early 1990s, New York City Mayor David Dinkins appointed him to serve as Deputy City Personnel Director for Administration and Budget, after his service as Deputy Director of the NYC Redistricting Commission.
Butler has received several recognitions for his leadership. He received a prestigious national leadership fellowship from the Kellogg Foundation, and a Thomas K. Bradshaw Fellowship in the Humanities for Young Professionals at Claremont Graduate School. He has served on the Board of Directors in various capacities at the Algebra Project, the Brooklyn Plaza Medical Center, and the Universal Service Administrative Company.
He earned an AB from Harvard College and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law is a non-partisan public policy and law institute that focuses on the fundamental issues of democracy and justice. Its work ranges from voting rights to campaign finance reform, from racial justice in criminal law to presidential power in the fight against terrorism. A singular institution — part think tank, part public interest law firm, part advocacy group — the Brennan Center combines scholarship, legislative and legal advocacy, and communications to win meaningful, measurable change in the public sector.