Donald Butler, of Tucson, Arizona, received his Bachelor of  Science degree in Agriculture from the University of Arizona.  Immediately preceding his appointment as Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture, he served as Chairman of Agrolink Corporation, a business formed to promote international agribusiness and trade, providing  financial advice to Mexican and U.S. sources  pursuant to the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mr. Butler is the former Chairman of Shasta Foods International, Inc.,  a Japanese-American wholly integrated meat export company based in Gonzales, California.  His years of banking which included handling livestock loans, appraisals, documentation and evaluation of livestock credits culminated in his current ownership of Coronado Cattle Company in Tucson, Arizona. 

A leading representative of the cattle industry for many years, Mr. Butler is past President of the National Cattlemen’s Association, and served as Chairman of the National Cattlemen’s  Foundation for several years.  He was appointed to the National Public Lands Advisory Council by the Secretary of the Interior and served a term as chairman.  Later appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the President’s Advisory Committee for Trade Policy and Negotiations, he was reappointed by President George H. Bush.

Mr. Butler has been active in foreign business affairs through his involvement  with the U.S. Meat Export Federation, an organization he chaired and from which he received the Distinguished Service Award.  He also served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Twelfth District Advisory Council and was awarded their Citation for Distinguished Service.    

He is a past President of the Arizona Cattle Feeder’s Association, past President of the University of Arizona Alumni Association and the Arizona Agriculture “100” Council.

Bringing more than 50 years of agriculture business development to his Department, and almost as many years of public service, Donald Butler has enthusiastically embraced his opportunity to serve the people of the State of Arizona.