PITTSFIELD — Jonathan Butler is a millennial, the age group that the Berkshires are seeking to attract.
The Cheshire native grew up in the Berkshires, graduated from high school in 2000, then left to attend Franklin Pierce College in New Hampshire, where he majored in history and political science. But unlike many other members of his generation, he came back home.
After a stint working in state politics on Beacon Hill, Butler returned to the Berkshires in 2009, to serve for five years as town administrator for the town of Adams. In late summer 2014, he became president and CEO of 1Berkshire Strategic Alliance, the county’s state-designated economic development agency. Given his background, and his previous and current work experiences, Butler is well-acquainted with the economic development issues currently affecting the Berkshires, and is involved in efforts to bring the members of his age group back home.
We recently met with Butler to discuss 1Berkshire’s role in the community, how he ended up in politics, and ways of solving what he refers to as the Berkshires’ “workforce conundrum.”
Read the rest of Executive Spotlight: Jonathan Butler, CEO of 1Berkshire was published in the Berkshire Eagle on September 30, 2019.
