Reverend Brian T. Butch was awarded the 2011 CHHS Distinguished Alumnus of the Year on behalf of the CHHS Alumni Chapter Board. Reverend Butch was accompanied by his mother, Kathleen Butch, and sisters Kerry Butch and Susan Cox at the university's Celebration of Distinction on April 13 at The Mason Inn Conference Center and Hotel.
Reverend Butch majored in social work and was active in the student government while at Mason. He interned at the Woodbine Nursing Home, Boy’s Probation House, and the Montgomery County Human Relations Commission.
Reverend Butch went on to study at Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary, where he received a master of divinity and was ordained a Roman Catholic priest. He received his master of social work from Fordham University and is a licensed clinical social worker in New Jersey.
He has worked in numerous parishes, has served as the director of Catholic Relief Services and the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and was the chair of the Priest’s Counsel. He has served as a governor’s appointee to the New Jersey Mental Health Citizen’s Advisory Board. He is a trustee for Brookdale Community College and served on the Jersey Shore University Medical Center Community Advisory Board. He is currently serving as a governor’s appointee to the New Jersey State Parole Board, where he is an associate board member. Reverend Butch is in the process of completing a master’s degree in criminal justice at Monmouth University, where he also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the School of Social Work.
"It was amazing to see the Mason campus,” said Butch. “There are so many buildings, and the campus has grown into quite a hub of activity! I loved seeing the diversity among the students and faculty, and having the opportunity to hear what they were thinking. I felt proud of the social work department. They continue to play a key role on campus and in the community. Their role will be more crucial in the future."
“I am so grateful to the faculty and staff for affording me so many opportunities to learn and grow during my undergraduate years,” Butch elaborated. “Seeing Dr. Raskin and enjoying lunch with other social work alumni gave us an opportunity to thank Dr. Raskin. She is the epitome of what Mason is all about. She not only reaches out to the students, but to the alumni as well. Miriam has helped to shape the lives of students and, in turn, of those we meet on our various paths. I feel such gratitude after my experience on campus!"