Jennifer Butler has more than 15 of experience working in nonprofit, applied research institutes with responsibilities that included management, governance, finance, and audit accountability as well as extensive experience managing grants and contracts.

Butler’s background includes financial start-up activities for applied research institutes and the management of programs for the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

As one of the original Institute team members, Butler was instrumental in operational start up activities ranging from negotiating initial funding awards to establishing financial and administrative processes. Butler served five years as the Institute’s Director of Grants and Contracts where she was responsible for negotiating and managing hundreds of grants and contracts with state, federal, private sector, non-profit and university partners before being named the Institute’s Vice President for Administration and CFO in 2017.

Prior to joining the Institute, Jennifer served as Associate Director of Louisiana State University’s Stephenson Disaster Management Institute. In addition to overseeing grant management, she was Program Manager for LSU research conducted through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Center of Excellence for the Study of Natural Disasters, Coastal Infrastructure, and Emergency Management.

Before moving to Louisiana, Jennifer directed $100 million in federal grants and contracts at the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma City. She was also involved in managing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Lessons Learned Information Sharing web portal and the agency’s Project Responder program. In addition, she worked with terrorism victims, survivors, and family members, including those affected by the 1995 federal building bombing in Oklahoma City, the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and other events worldwide.

Jennifer earned a master’s degree in homeland security leadership from the University of Connecticut, a master’s certificate in federal grants management and a certificate in federal contracting from George Washington University/ESI, and a bachelor’s degree in history and economics from Oklahoma City University.