CEO, Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District

Craig Butler serves as the chief executive of the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District (MWCD), an organization which manages Ohio’s largest watershed with the mission of preventing flooding, conserving natural resources and promoting outdoor recreation. The MWCD owns 60,000 acres and 16 dams and reservoirs across Eastern Ohio which its 415 employees manage in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USCOE). MWCD's recreation resources serve approximately five million Ohioans annually and its flood prevention mission is calculated by the USCOE to have prevented more than $10 billion in property damage since the MWCD’s inception.

Butler is a longtime Ohio natural resources and environmental leader, having previously served in senior positions under two governor’s administrations, including in the Governor’s Cabinet as director of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. At the EPA, Butler led the agency’s 1,200 scientists, engineers, and administrative professionals to protect Ohio’s environment while building a culture that supported economic development and new job creation. Under his leadership the agency also developed initiatives that served as national models regarding climate change, drinking water standards and watershed protection strategies.

Prior to joining MWCD, Butler led the Power Siting Board for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio where he worked to streamline the approval process for new power generation, initiated an overhaul of the Board’s governance and helped improve the consistency of the Board’s siting process.

Butler holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies from Mansfield University in Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Environmental Studies from Ohio University. He lives in Tuscarawas County with his family, where he enjoys hunting, fishing and endurance running.