Gerald M. Butts is the President and CEO of the global conservation organization, WWF-Canada

WWF-Canada

WWF-Canada is one of Canada's largest conservation organizations and is a member of the WWF global network, actively contributing to the protection, management and restoration of the environment...

 (World Wildlife Fund Canada

WWF-Canada

WWF-Canada is one of Canada's largest conservation organizations and is a member of the WWF global network, actively contributing to the protection, management and restoration of the environment...

). The official announcement of his appointment was made on June 25, 2008 and he became President and CEO on September 2, 2008.

Butts was also a former aide in the Government of Ontario

Government of Ontario

The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....

. He was Policy Secretary and then Principal Secretary

Principal Secretary (Canada)

In Canada the Principal Secretary is a senior aide, often the most senior political aide, to a head of government. Formerly the position of Principal Secretary was the most senior in the Canadian Prime Minister's Office, though since 1987 it is second to the Chief of Staff...

 in the Office of the Premier of Ontario

Premier of Ontario

The Premier of Ontario is the first Minister of the Crown for the Canadian province of Ontario. The Premier is appointed as the province's head of government by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and presides over the Executive council, or Cabinet. The Executive Council Act The Premier of Ontario...

, Dalton McGuinty

Dalton McGuinty

Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr., MPP is a Canadian lawyer, politician and, since October 23, 2003, the 24th and current Premier of the Canadian province of Ontario....

, in Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. He was a major architect of its platform in the 2003 Ontario provincial election.

Butts has published articles in the Boston Book Review, the Literary Review of Canada

Literary Review of Canada

The Literary Review of Canada is a Canadian magazine that publishes ten times a year. The magazine publishes essays and reviews of books on political, cultural and social topics, as well as Canadian poetry...

 and Gravitas. He has also appeared on television on programs such as W5

W-FIVE

W5 is a Canadian news magazine television series produced by CTV News. The program is currently initially broadcast Saturday nights at 7 p.m...

 and TSN

The Sports Network

The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...

's Off The Record

Off The Record (TSN TV series)

Off the Record with Michael Landsberg, a.k.a. Off the Record or OTR, is a Canadian sports talk show on TSN hosted by Michael Landsberg...

.

He is married to lawyer Jodi (Heimpel) Butts and has two children, Aiden and Ava.

Early life

Butts grew up in Canada. He received a B.A.

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 and M.A.

Master of Arts (postgraduate)

A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...

 in English literature from McGill University

McGill University

Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...

 in Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

 before entering the Ph.D.

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...

 program at York University

York University

York University is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's third-largest university, Ontario's second-largest graduate school, and Canada's leading interdisciplinary university....

 in Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, which he left to pursue his career in politics.

While attending university, Butts was one of Canada's most successful competitive debaters. He was president of the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate

Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate

The Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate is the national organization which governs all competitive university debating and public speaking in Canada. It sanctions several official annual tournaments and represents Canadian debating domestically and abroad...

 and the McGill University Debating Union, and was a two-time Canadian National Debating Champion

Canadian National Debating Championship

The Canadian National Debating Championship is the premier university debating championship in Canada, sanctioned by the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate. It has been held since 1978, always in the Canadian parliamentary debating style...

.

Other

Butts was also a delegate at the 2007 Bilderberg Conference in Istanbul, Turkey, 31 May - 3 June 2007. He was in the company of other notable Canadians: Jason Kenney

Jason Kenney

Jason T. Kenney, PC, MP is Canada's current Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. He has represented the riding of Calgary Southeast in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997....

 (Member of Parliament) and Heather Reisman

Heather Reisman

Heather Reisman is a Canadian businesswoman. Reisman is the founder and chief executive of the Canadian retail chain Indigo Books and Music. Previously, she was president of Cott Corporation, a leading supplier of private label carbonated soft drinks.Reisman is married to Gerald Schwartz,...

 (Chair and CEO, Indigo Books and Music

Indigo Books and Music

Indigo Books & Music Inc. is a Canadian retail bookstore chain. The company was founded in 1996 by CEO Heather Reisman, wife of Gerry Schwartz, majority owner and CEO of Onex Corporation....

Inc.) Butts was a torch bearer for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.